


Burn

by MeGaLoTrash



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Witchcraft, Angst, Anxiety Attacks, Coven AU, Demons, Focus on Papyrus/Papyrus pairings, Guilt, HorrorTale Sans, Horrortale Papyrus (Undertale), Hurt/Comfort, Internal guilt, M/M, Masturbation, Monster/Human Racism, Multi, Multiple Pairings which will be tagged in start notes (if you want to skip), Nightmares, Non-Related Fontcest, Polyamory, Sanscest - Freeform, Self-Discovery, Sexual Fantasy, Smoking, Spicyhoney - Freeform, Swapfell Papyrus - Freeform, Swapfell Sans, Underfell Papyrus (Undertale), Underfell Sans (Undertale), Underswap Muffet (Undertale), Underswap Papyrus (Undertale), Underswap Sans (Undertale), Undertale Monsters on the Surface, Undertale Sans, honeybbq, papcest - Freeform, undertale papyrus
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-10-07
Updated: 2018-11-22
Packaged: 2019-07-27 17:40:47
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 11
Words: 31,127
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16224062
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MeGaLoTrash/pseuds/MeGaLoTrash
Summary: In a world cohabited by monsters and humans some have forgotten what sets them apart. Suffering from a great loss Honey moves to a sleepy village in the middle of the woods. He’s surprised to see other skeletons but tries to get on with his life despite the strange things happening around him. And inside himself.(If you want to see some character art,Click here.)Hiatus atm but it's being worked on in the background as of march '19- plans to get back to this around mid april after a few irl stresses are done - thanks for being understanding!As the fic does involve some darker themes spoiler notes will be in end notes- MCD is tagged as a precaution but it's more complicated (and will be flagged for triggers). E rating for overall fic though is M to start, any sex scenes will be flagged with pairing in case you want to skip. I Hope you enjoy the fic!





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger warning in end notes.

_Fire._

_The flames were already travelling through the house when Honey regained consciousness, seeing nothing but heavy black smoke filling his attic room. As his senses returned he could feel the heat coming from below and see the unnatural shadows cast from the dancing flames._

_But the screams._

_The frantic cries of his trapped family chilled him to the core._

_There wasn’t time to react before the thick smoke made itself truly known, swirling around Honey’s bones and threatening to dampen his soul. He choked back on sobs as he scrambled across the floor following instinct as he made his way over to his open window. Fear and resolve battled inside him as he gasped for breath and shakily rose to his feet._

_Honey was shaking in fear as he scrambled to stand on the window pane, not daring to look down lest he come face to face with his own demise._

_It felt like every bone in his body was lighter than air when he flung himself out of the window._

_There was a strange sense of elation; for a moment Honey was sure he’d be able to fly away from all of this pain._

_He hadn’t realised he’d been holding his breath until he saw himself exhale in the cold night air._

_But then he made the mistake of looking down and realised that the ground was coming towards him at an alarming rate._

_He had no choice other than to screw his sockets shut and brace for impact._

Honey awoke with a jolt strong enough to almost knock him clean off the carriage. It took him a few moments to realise that he’d been dreaming, and another to remember where he was. He hadn’t thought it would be possible to fall asleep considering his cramped conditions but since they’d been travelling for three days straight it shouldn’t have come as a surprise. His fellow passengers had been kind enough to let him rest despite the fact he was pretty sure he’d been drooling on one of their shoulders. They were a small family of reptilian monsters; a mother and father who alternated with driving the carriage, two young children, and an older sister who Honey guessed was around his age. He was happy to journey with them rather than travel alone but he was thankful that they didn’t ask any questions about his forced smile. 

Honey was still exhausted and shivering uncontrollably as carriage did little to shelter them from the cool October air. The problem was that despite it being a dream, or more aptly a nightmare, his body felt just as alive with adrenaline now as it had been on that fateful night.

The memories were still fresh enough to bring an almost unbearable pain. Honey had barely escaped with his life only to watch everything he loved burn to the ground. The scarce few things that had survived the fire were currently in the burlap sack he cradled to his chest despite it being pitifully empty. Honey tried to trace the outline of his father’s medallion and the carved wooden rabbit that he’d salvaged from their yard through the sack to see if it would bring him any comfort. It didn’t. He sighed heavily and decided to try a different tactic, turning to face the back of the carriage and instead focusing on the sound of the cart’s wheels on the dirt path. If nothing else the repetitive noise was enough to calm his troubled soul. He then found that if he closed his sockets he could almost imagine that he was laying on the grass in front of his home with the sun on his face. 

It was very bittersweet; thoughts of his home, his old home, were comforting but Honey knew it wouldn’t be long until those feelings faded into memories. He wanted to clutch hold of them while he could though, no matter the pain it brought him. 

He wasn’t ready to let go of his old life yet. 

For the first few days after the fire Honey blamed no one but himself. There was no reason why he’d been given a chance to escape when the smoke should have killed him in his sleep. It wasn’t that he wasn’t thankful for his second chance but he couldn’t help wishing that someone else had taken his place. The world was a harsh place, one he wasn’t suited to travel through alone. If it had been his mother or father who had survived they would have known exactly what to do to get back on their feet, or if it had been one or both of his younger brothers then one of the families in town would have gladly raised them as their own.

But he was completely alone. 

The guilt he felt been even harder to deal with when he’d noticed every conversation between his neighbours stopped when he hobbled by. Despite how hard he tried to ignore them he still managed to hear the whispers. How could Honey, the only member of the family who didn’t fit in and who should have been married off months ago, be the sole survivor? He suspected the townspeople doubted his story despite him being found half dead in front of his still burning home. Some of them even went so far as to point the finger at him for starting the fire himself. The investigation into the fire didn’t bring up any leads as to the cause so speculation was rife. Monsters and humans Honey had known since childhood were now looking at him differently as they made up their minds on him being capable of such an atrocious act. Nothing came of the accusations without any evidence though. Well, nothing except making a distraught Honey feeling even worse than before. 

He’d never hear his mother’s soothing voice again or watch his twin brothers wrestle in the garden. Even his father, with his strict rules and even harsher punishments, had a soul full of love and didn’t deserve the end that had befallen him. It wasn’t fair! Their deaths were so cruel and unjust that Honey was beginning to question everything he’d been raised to believe. A dark part of him even wished he _had_ started the fire, if he was at fault then he’d at least have someone to blame. Even if that someone was himself. Instead, he was left grieving his family with no one left to turn to for fear that they would question his innocence. Which was why leaving town had seemed like the only option available to him. 

Once the wounds from his fall had healed enough for Honey to be able to move around without too much pain he was on his way. He saw no reason to stay in the village that couldn’t bring him anything but sorrow. The one blessing in all of this mess was that his family owned quite a bit of farmland and livestock that wasn’t damaged in the fire. Selling it wasn’t an issue with half of the town wanting to be rid of him and it had returned a tidy sum. Honey had enough to buy passage out of town and keep him fed and sheltered until he found work if he was sensible. His father had been gracious enough to teach him enough about finances to get by. It was one of the only times Honey had felt his father had treated him like an adult. Despite his advice being tailored for when he was due to take over the family farm, they were essential in arranging a fair price and would certainly come in handy for his future. 

Honey had thought about travelling back to his routes over the sea, but it seemed pointless when all of his known relatives were either dead or had emigrated themselves. He did know of a cousin on his mother’s side who lived in a woodland village only a few days ride away. Gaster was a doctor by trade, closer to Honey’s parent's age than his own, but someone Honey remembered fondly from his childhood. Surely Gaster would be the same as he remembered and willing to welcome him until he found his feet. With his mind made up Honey wrote ahead and arranged passage to Gaster's village only to receive word of him leaving to pastures new on the day of departure. Rather than chase them across the country Honey had decided to stick to his plan. He had already paid for the journey and couldn’t bear to be in his current surroundings a moment longer. 

He had packed up what little he had left and waited patiently for the carriage to arrive, not daring to even glance behind as his hometown rolled out of sight. 

But what had seemed like a step in the right direction quickly became worrisome when he was faced with the realities of leaving home on such a long journey. Honey hadn’t made such a long journey since he was a child and even then he was too young to recall most of the details. He’d never done anything like this on his own. His family had only just started to give him proper responsibilities on the farm but it was under heavy supervision. Honey could just imagine their faces if they could see him now. His mother would try to coddle him and his father would scold him for acting like he knew the first thing about living on his own.

Which was why he’d been rethinking his decision to leave the further away he was from home. Honey had just gone through more sorrow than anyone should go through in their lifetime and now he was leaving the only place he’d ever really known. Even now on the last leg of his journey, he was terrified he'd made the wrong decision. 

_What if he made it to town and found there wasn’t a job for him? He had enough money to look after himself initially but how long would it last if he had no place to go. What if all of this had been one huge mistake?!_

The sound of his own elevated breathing distracted Honey from his downward spiral, as did the sympathetic smile he got from the mother of the family. He’d seen that look so many times on his own mother’s face that it was almost bittersweet until the embarrassment hit him. Honey could only imagine what he looked like right now, staring at nothing and then getting worked up about it. This family didn’t know his story, neither would the people in the town, so he needed to drop his pathetic act if he wanted to avoid any prying questions. He was mortified for a few minutes while he tried to come up with an excuse for his behaviour until, thankfully, one of the younger monsters stole everyone’s attention. They were stood on their seat looking through the small fabric slat that separated the carriage and the driver's seat squealing in excitement at being able to see the forest. Honey managed to peek up from where he was sat and see the approaching tree line for himself. 

While the children squealed and scared themselves over the foreboding forest they were venturing into, all Honey could see was an opportunity for change. A chance for him to leave his past behind him and start to heal his wounds. He lent back in his seat and let his sockets slip closed again, comforted knowing that his fresh start was no longer just a whim.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tw: Angst heavy, deaths of non-major characters. 
> 
> Find me on tumblr ( [18+](https://megalotrash.tumblr.com)) if you wanna follow for updates, fic talk etc <3


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No Spoiler tags needed. Meeting a few interesting characters ;).

Dusk was fast approaching when the carriage finally arrived in the woodland town. It seemed strange to Honey that it was still regarded as such when it must have been at least three times as big as the town he came from. The name ‘Hydeford’ was displayed on a worn plaque at the end of the dirt road next to a sculpture that Honey guessed was of the town’s founders though it was hard to see the details with the sun going down. The town’s name came from the name of the forest which was why Honey had been expecting a sleepy hamlet in the middle of nowhere. Instead he was met with an array of tightly packed homesteads throughout most of the clearing, all thriving with activity despite the twilight hour. 

There was a pleasant buzz in the air that Honey was wholly accustomed to. He was used to his nearest neighbours being at least a few hundred yards away compared to the homes here which were so close that some of them shared external walls or fences. There were benefits to this set up surely, but with such a thick forest hemming the town’s boundaries it was hard not to feel suffocated. Honey took in a deep breath, reassuring himself with the idea that the town would seem completely different in the light of day. And from what he could glean from looking into open windows as the cart went past the houses seemed more cosy than cramped. He could hear his late mother’s voice chastising him for being nosey but it didn’t feel like he was invading anyone’s privacy when doors and windows were flung open for the world to see. 

That being said, it wasn’t long before Honey was caught staring. It wasn’t entirely his fault though, who could blame him for lingering when his eyes landed upon someone who literally took his breath away. 

It wasn’t every day that he saw one of his own kind.

Come to think of it Honey couldn’t remember if he’d ever met any skeleton monsters that he wasn’t related to. The house they were in had initially caught his eye for being a lot larger and grander than most of the town, leading him to assume that it must have belonged to the founding family. He was pretty sure his jaw actually dropped when he saw the beautiful skeleton sat on a chair near the highest window. Honey’s soul was thumping heavily in his ribcage as he took in their lavishly adorned form. The long draping dress they were wearing fit in such a way that made it look like their body had curves, something that Honey was both intrigued and confused about. He was trying to fathom how such an incredible monster could be real when their eyes met his. Their face glimmered with recognition while Honey was frozen, hypnotised by their charms while his soul felt like it was going to pound clean out of his chest. Then the skeleton’s mouth curved up into a smile and Honey’s head started to spin. He averted his eyes out of instinct before glancing back to see them giving him a tiny wave as the carriage turned a corner. 

As soon as they were out of sight Honey let out the breath he didn’t know he’d been holding. He had so many questions about the mysterious skeleton he’d seen and even more about why seeing them had such a profound effect on him. He could try and put it down to a craving of familiarity considering his recent loss but he knew that wasn’t the only thing that was running through his overactive mind. The skeleton came from a different world to the one he had grown up in, one of wealth and power he’d never hope to experience. But that didn’t stop Honey wishing more than anything that their paths would cross in the near future. 

Honey was still in a daze when they pulled to a stop outside a meager looking homestead. From the snippets of conversation Honey had overheard in the past few days he understood that the father of the family had travelled here alone to raise most of their home and then travelled back to collect his family. They had thanked Honey a few times already for choosing to join them and now he realised just how much his fare would have helped them afford the trip. He gathered his things and stuck around to help the family unload theirs, slipping the children a few extra coins to buy themselves some treats when no one was looking. He didn’t want to stick his nose in and interfere too much, wishing them well and leaving them to some well deserved rest. Honey made a promise to himself to stop by soon and see if they needed any further help once he had got himself settled. 

Just as long as he didn’t overstay his welcome. Honey imagined that while help would be appreciated, having a relatively strange monster hanging around with no familial ties would be uncomfortably awkward. He just had to resist the urge to cling to the closest thing to friends he had in the town. 

_More like in the whole world_ he thought bitterly as he turned back towards the town with shaky confidence. 

Dr. Gaster had mentioned the tavern he stayed at many times in his correspondence. It was as good a place as any to start in Honey’s mind. He found his way back onto the main road of the town and from there it was easy to follow the sounds of drunken shouting and laughter right to the tavern’s entrance. The building was only slightly bigger than the compact houses he’d seen which only made it seem fit to burst with all the rowdy patrons spilling out onto the street. Honey didn’t manage to get a good look at exterior with the mixture of humans and monsters obscuring his view but he did notice the small tavern sign hanging over the doorway. ‘The Spinner’s arms’ was written in a swirling font accompanied by an illustration of intricate cobwebs. It seemed like an odd thing to use to advertise a business to him, but it was plain to see it wasn’t having any negative effects in regards to attracting customers.

With no further reasons to dawdle Honey tried to move through the crowd and shuffle his way inside. He was met with many lingering looks and whispers as he passed which he did his best to try and ignore. Honey reminded himself that new faces probably weren’t common in such an isolated town and that he shouldn’t take such actions personally. They were probably just sizing up the new arrivals, something which he would definitely do if their positions were reversed. _He probably wouldn’t be so obvious about it though_.  
Regardless of his own judgements, Honey knew he needed to make a good first impression and turn on the charm rather than shrinking away like he wanted to. He managed to make his way through the crowded tavern eventually towards the bar where he was met with a very surprising sight. The Spinner's arms seemed like a much more apt name when he laid eyes on the monster behind the bar. 

Honey kept what he hoped was a sincere looking smile on his face as he watched an experienced spider bartender serving multiple customers at once. He had never met a spider monster before so he was instantly taken aback by how well suited she seemed for the job. She was wearing an immaculately pressed dress adapted for her multiple arms, all of which were carrying out separate tasks simultaneously. With one pair she was pouring drinks, another collecting payment, and the ones closest to her body were polishing a row of mugs in quick succession. Honey was so mesmerised by the impressive display that he didn’t realise he’d been staring until all three pairs of arms came to rest on the spider’s hips. 

“You just gonna stand there and stare or can I get you a drink?” She gestured to the one empty stool at the bar which Honey quickly took out of courtesy. “I’m in half a mind to charge you either way for the show, so you might as well have something to take the edge off.” 

“Sorry I didn’t mean any-”Honey started to compensate for his rapidly heating skull before he realised that the spider was smiling smugly. He knew that he must have stuck out like a sore thumb amidst the regular patrons, but he took solace in the fact she was only making fun rather than being malicious. He straightened himself out and took a deep breath before continuing in what he hoped was a more confident tone. “I’m looking for the owner of this establishment?”

There was scattered laughter from the patrons around him before the spider glared at them, making them roll their eyes and then carry on with their evening. Honey wondered how he’d managed to amuse everyone before the puzzle pieces slotted together. 

“You’re looking at her.” The spider said with a large grin, confirming Honey’s suspicions, “Name’s Muffet. And you can leave those good graces at the door,” She winked and passed Honey the drink she’d been pouring. “What can I do you for?”

 _Straight to the point._ Honey smiled and slid a few coins across the table while taking a large gulp of his drink. Even if the beer was far too bitter for his personal tastes it had been a long few days and he wasn’t going to refuse any hospitality that he was being offered. 

“I was-” he paused to try and hide the way his face scrunched up from how strong the drink was. He already felt like a lost child and didn’t need any reminders of his sheltered upbringing. “I was wondering if you were hiring any help?”

Up until now, Muffet had shown only mild interest in what Honey was saying while she carried on with her tasks. But that question made all sets of her arms stop moving. There was something unnerving about the way her five eyes narrowed before she moved to where Honey was sat and leant over the bar towards him. 

“And how would an outsider like you know if I need help or not?” she asked. 

“My cousin. Dr. Gaster-” Honey breathed a small sigh of relief when the mention of his name made Muffet back off a little. “He mentioned how popular this place was in his letter, I was originally coming to stay with him but-” he smiled sheepishly, knowing that the next part of his sentence was a bolder statement than he was used to making “-since he’s gone I am in need of employment.”

With that Honey took another long gulp from his mug, hoping that the bitter liquid would calm his nerves enough so that the rattling of his bones wouldn’t be audible. The bar may have been loud but it was hard to ignore just how nervous he was internally. He’d planned this far but without knowing what Muffet’s answer would be he was now in uncharted territory. If she didn’t want to hire him then he was going to have a rough time asking around the town for work tomorrow. _Probably for the rest of the week._ He could feel multiple pairs of eyes on him too from the other patrons, all waiting to see what was going to become of the new face in town. It was making his soul feel heavy like it was going to fall through his shirt at any moment. As luck would have it though, Muffet’s face had changed back into one of amusement when Honey lowered his mug back down. 

“There’s no need to look so frightened sweet one, I’m only teasing Ahuhuh~” She laughed behind one of her hands in a way that made Honey shiver in his heightened state. “I _might_ have a position for you. But I’m going to need to know your name first.”

Honey’s sockets lit up with an excitement he could barely contain. He hadn’t been able to stop doubting his plan for the entire journey over with part of him sure he was going to fail and run back home. This was the chance he’d been hoping for.

“Honey.” he said a little louder than he intended, “Thank you miss Muffet, I won’t let you down,” he added in a quieter tone leaning in to try and minimise what the evesdroppers could hear. “I- um- need somewhere to stay too, if you have rooms available. I can pay my way until I’m earning my keep.”

Just like his eyes had lit up moments before, Muffet’s black orbs were now twinkling with enthusiasm. It didn’t take a genius to figure out that finances were one of her top priorities. Money had to be well managed if she ran such a successful establishment in such an isolated place. Honey smiled when she clapped a pair of hands in excitement and he made a mental note to never forget to pay his board on time. 

“Oh, I knew I had a good feeling about you!” Muffet said as her smile grew even wider, “You can have the doctor’s old room, he left a few things that I haven’t had the time to clean up yet. So they might as well be yours.”

A few rowdy patrons disrupted them for a moment, impatient that they’d been made to wait while her attention was distracted. Muffet hushed them and went back to pouring drinks while Honey finished off his own. He felt a little light headed by the end but he put that down to the lack of sleep or any hot food in quite some time. He was going to ask if he’d be able to order anything or be able to cook himself but as soon as Muffet finished pouring drinks she jumped right back into the conversation herself. 

“My other charge will be glad of the reprieve with how busy we’ve been. Oh! In fact, you wait here and I’ll go fetch him. I have a feeling you two are going to get along.” 

There was no time for Honey to ask who she was talking about as Muffet had already disappeared through the bar door by the time she’d finished her sentence. He guessed that it was someone who worked here since there was no way even someone as experienced as she would be able to handle the demand of this place. He’d spotted the large kitchen and what he suspected was a small barn round the back of the building before he came so he guessed this mystery guy couldn’t be far away. Honey used this time alone to reground himself and glance around at the other patrons. Thankfully most of the ones who had been staring earlier were now occupied with each other instead. There was a small group of humans to the left of him that hadn’t quite given up watching him though. They weren’t being too obvious but their stoic expressions were definitely making him uneasy. He came from a town where monsters made up the majority and the humans he had dealt with had always seemed harmless. He didn’t get the same vibe from these ones though. 

Honey was about to see if he had the time to go over and try to introduce himself. It was a bold move but he’d rather be on awkward terms with them by being over friendly over the threatening aura they were projecting now. He’d gotten to the point of hopping off his stool when the bar door swung open to reveal a tall figure that had to stoop down to get through the door. 

_Another skeleton._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Find me on tumblr ( [18+](https://megalotrash.tumblr.com)) if you wanna follow for updates, fic talk etc <3


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mild warnings including ship in end notes (spoilers- but do check if you need to!)

Another skeleton. 

Another _fucking_ skeleton. 

Honey wasn’t usually one to curse even in his own head but this was just too unbelievable. 

“This is Honey, the new help I'm considering taking on," Muffet said from behind the tall skeleton, before gently pushing past him so she could get back to the bar. Her eyes fell on the startled Honey instantly which she took as an invitation to lean back in and feed him more information, “Slim here has been with me for around a year now- so he’ll be able to show you the ropes. I’m sure you’ll have a lot in common!”

The other skeleton, Slim, gave Muffet a nodd before turning his attention back to an speechless Honey. Saying that Honey couldn’t believe his eyes would be an understatement. He’d gone through most of his life believing that his own kind were very few and far between. After seeing two other skeletons in the space of a few hours he was rapidly rethinking that notion. Judging by Slim’s worn clothing he doubted that he was related to the regal looking skeleton he’d seen in the window which only intrigued Honey further. He and Slim were both wearing a similar clothing of a loose shirt, worn jacket, and dark pants. The difference was Slim’s outfit was in even further disrepair than Honey's was. His shirt had patches all over it, probably from where it’d been ripped at the seams considering how much broader he was. He was tall too, probably just short of a foot taller than Honey was.

It was intimidating, to say the least, and that wasn’t even mentioning that Slim looked like he’d been through some really serious stuff. His skull had half a dozen fractures with the worst being above the two teeth he’d replaced with polished metal. Honey was sure that his name was either a remnant from his childhood or a misnomer. Slim was still skeletal, but Honey would be willing to bet the other skeleton could quite easily lift his entire body with minimal effort. 

Something about that thought made the heat return to Honey’s skull. It was either that or Slim’s neutral expression morphing into a small smile. Probably both. He had been initially thinking of Slim being able to overpower him in a fight but he couldn’t deny his thoughts had momentarily wandered into a different territory. One that involved being cornered by the larger skeleton in an entirely different context. Honey felt the urgency to do something but every time his eyes met Slim’s he was sucked into his warm amber eyes. There was something alluring about him, but there was something else. Something dangerous. Something that made Honey want to forget his entire plan and run lest he be consumed by a different type of flame. 

Slim’s eyes looked like they were flickering with that danger now and Honey felt heat warming his skull again. For a moment he was sure he’d said his thoughts out loud with how well timed Slim’s reactions were. No one else in the bar had reacted though, the only other monster paying attention to their silent exchange was Muffet. She was tapping her foot impatiently, the repetitive sound doing the job of snapping him out of his trance. Realising that he was being extremely rude by not introducing himself pushed Honey to open his mouth before he’d figured out what to say. 

“He-Hello Slim-” He stuttered, all of his earlier confidence dissipated in an instant. “It’s very nice to- um- to meet your acquaintance.” 

Slim nodded his head and a real smile spread onto his cracked features. Honey instantly felt so foolish for thinking that there was something odd going on when he felt the warmth of the other skeletons demeanor. Slim was probably just as surprised as he was, any of the small reactions had to be a coincidence. Honey was just far too paranoid with everything that was going on right now. He would have much rather had more time to process the turn of events but Muffet’s patience for this awkward exchange had worn thin. She chose that moment to come up behind Honey and start ushering him to the back of the bar. The moment Muffet’s hand came into contact with his shoulder Honey was sure he actually squeaked in surprise.

“Come on now, there’s no need to look like you’ve seen a ghost!” She said while pushing them both through the back door, shaking her head when all they could do was exchange more awkward smiles with each other. “Don't just stand there gawking at each other either! I’ve got _an establishment_ to run.” Muffet made a point to wink obviously at Honey before turning back to the taller skeleton. “Slim, give him a tour then show him to the doctor’s old room before either of you waste any more of my time. And make sure to wake him up for breakfast tomorrow, I doubt our Honey is used to getting up that early.”

With that Muffet slammed the door to the bar and left Honey completely alone with the intimidating skeleton.

Slim was yet to speak but he didn’t seem like he had any malicious intent. He just seemed a little off, but considering their similar dumbstruck reactions it was probably because this was just as daunting for him. He wasn’t as visibly shaken as Honey was; he seemed calm apart from losing the ability to make direct eye contact. Honey just couldn’t get a proper read on the guy either way. 

“She really is-” Honey started in a croaky verse, hoping that talking about Muffet would help ease some of the tension. “-Something,” he said before inwardly cringing at how incompetent he sounded. “Sorry-I mean, I’ve never met a monster like her before.”

“Yeah, She really is.” Slim responded. His voice was richer than Honey expected as was the audible sigh of relief. “You’ll get used to it though, and her soul is in the right place,” he added before finally bringing his eyes up to meet Honey’s again, “I’m guessing by that look on your face you don’t see many of our kind either, right?”

Honey laughed nervously and scratched the back of his skull. It was such a change to be around monsters who were so direct, both Slim and Muffet were nothing like what he was used to. It was refreshing if a little jarring.

“I’ve never met anyone who wasn’t in my family,” He replied without thinking before the panic over follow up questions set in, “And- and they’re, um-”

“-Don’t sweat it.” Slim interrupted, "What’s in the past can stay there.” 

His eyes briefly flickered with something Honey was yet to see but knew so well. Pain, there was something in Slim’s past that had really hurt him. Thankfully Honey knew better than to chase that look and it wasn’t long before the crooked smile returned to Slim’s face. 

“We need to get moving before Muffet comes back and knocks our skulls together.” 

Slim pushed himself off the wall and walked away before turning back with another smile that made Honey’s legs feel like jelly.

“You Hungry?” he asked.

Honey nodded enthusiastically and followed Slim as he led the way towards the huge kitchens. Coming from a big family home was nothing compared to the impressive workspace and multiple stoves that Muffet had spared no expense on. Honey tried to take it all in while Slim pulled out a small plate and then went to retrieve something delicious smelling from one of the ovens. It didn’t take him long to identify the smell of freshly baked bread and had to consciously try not to salivate while Slim cut him off a few slices and covered them in homemade butter. Honey was thankful that Slim wasn’t offended when he all but snatched the plate off him and stuffed his face. The stoic skeleton seemed genuinely flattered when Honey’s eyes rolled back in his skull over the first warm meal he’d had in days.

Come to think of it, the last meal he actually enjoyed had been his late mother’s cooking. 

Slim let Honey enjoy his quick meal before he started an actual tour of the kitchen, pointing out all the tools and stock as they went. Honey was worried at first that this was going to be his only orientation before he was thrown in the deep end but luckily things didn’t seem to operate that way. They served simple but comforting food and Slim reassured him that Muffet wouldn’t dream of putting him on kitchen duty alone right when she had a well-crafted reputation to protect. Rather than be offended Honey was immensely relieved. From what he could tell most of his work at first would involve moving stock around, cleaning, and maintaining the small barn they had out back. Honey mentioned helping out at a farm before he came here in way of experience but chose to omit the part about it being family owned. Lying made him feel very uneasy but since Slim had mentioned about the past staying there he tried to ignore it. What he needed to focus on was learning as much as he could despite being exhausted from his journey. 

Honey needn't have worried too much. Slim seemed less interested in piling things onto Honey and more interested in studying him as they went. It was clear that he was trying to figure Honey out just as much as he was to him. While nerve wracking it was manageable on it’s own but Slim was taking every opportunity he could to get as close to Honey as possible. It was little things like leaning over him to show him where they kept the keys and telling Honey to take closer looks whenever he was showing him something specific. All while making it seem like it was completely unintentional. 

If he was being honest, Honey wouldn’t have been surprised if it was.

He didn’t know what had gotten into him. Honey had never so much as courted anyone in his life and yet his mind kept going back to that brief fantasy he’d had when they’d first met. They’d only known each other for mere minutes so Honey should have been more worried about how he was coming across in a first impression. Not if Slim’s eyes were lingering on him for the same reasons that were making it hard for him to stop staring. It was so unlike him that he was halfway through berating himself when he realised the other skeleton had stopped in front of a large wooden door. 

“-And here’s your room. It’s loud downstairs now but we’re only open a few more hours so you should be able to get some proper rest soon.” Slim gave him a sympathetic look as he went to open the door only to pause before he twisted the handle. “Do you smoke?”

“I used to but haven’t been able to get my hands on a replacement pipe after-” Honey winced when he realised he had to lie again or he’d have to explain why his previous pipe was probably nothing but ashes, “-losing mine.”

There was a moment where Honey would have sworn Slim was about to pull him into a hug and tell him that everything was going to be ok. When that didn’t happen he realised it must have just been his own desires projecting onto a situation with much less familiarity. Not that Slim wasn’t kind. He’d let go of the handle and went fishing in his jacket instead, looking excited over what he was about to find. When he came back with a long pipe and a bag of tobacco Honey could have cried with how touched he was. 

“Here, this should last you the night.” Slim placed them in Honey’s hands before he even had a chance to politely refuse. “We can pick you up one of your own in town tomorrow. Don’t worry, I’ve got a spare in the barn.” 

Honey sighed heavily, too tired to put on his usual graces now that a promise of an actual bed was so close. “Thank you so much.” was all he planned to say until Slim started back down the stairs, causing him to rethink what the other skeleton had previously said. “Wait, are you going to the barn now? Don’t you have a room?” 

“I don’t have one,” Slim answered. “By my choice though, Muffet still gets on my back about it-” He moved a hand to scratch at the back of his skull just like Honey had earlier. “I just like sleeping where I can see the stars. but our lovely landlady set me up a shed if it gets too cold or rains, so don’t worry about me-” Slim gave Honey a quick wink that made his soul skip a beat. “Sleep well.”

All Honey could do was watch, completely flabbergasted, as Slim disappeared down the steps. Part of him wanted to call after the other skeleton and find out more about this strange habit, another part wanted to invite Slim to stay in his room instead. 

He chose to try and ignore the latter part. 

The room Honey found himself in still looked like it was lived in. It wasn’t untidy by any means but there were books on every available surface as well as a few knick-knacks that made the room seem homier. He made a mental note to ask Muffet exactly what was his cousin’s and what the Inn owned tomorrow but he guessed that he was free to use anything. If it was of great value Muffet wouldn’t have just left it out in the open, of that he was sure. Honey sent a silent thanks to Dr. Gaster for leaving so much behind. For someone who had lost almost everything, Honey was willing to take comfort from anything despite it being materialistic. He planned to go through the whole room when he had time to spare. But for now, all he cared about was a particularly thick blanket he’d spotted and the large window bay he could smoke out of. 

It took a little maneuvering to get comfortable and load up the pipe that was much thinner to the one he used to use. Taking that first drag as he warmed his bones under the blanket made it all worth it. Slim had given him some strong stuff, he could feel that familiar buzz flowing around his bones already. He did make sure to glance around the ground below him first, out of habit, to make sure he wasn’t being watched. He was used to humans and sometimes other monsters being confused as to why so many skeletons smoked. They thought that the tobacco didn’t have the same effect as it did without actual lungs but the opposite was actually true. If anything the tobacco affected skeletons more and they weren’t burdened by any of the side effects that more fleshy creatures experienced. In an instant he already felt calmer than he’d been in days, the smoke swirling around his ribcage caressing him like a lover’s touch. 

_Not that he knew what that felt like._

Honey cursed and shook his head again. No matter what he did he just couldn’t get his mind out of the gutter tonight. There was no shaking away the pain he still felt deep inside himself, but he had been unable to stop himself being swept up in the excitement of tonight’s events. And that wasn’t even touching on what he could feel bubbling up inside him over the two skeletons he’d seen. The skeleton in the window was mesmerising even though Honey had only caught a glimpse of them, and Slim was so kind despite them being thrown together so abruptly. Honey couldn’t deny he had been quick to judge Slim’s looks, expecting the other skeleton to start ordering him around or demanding details about where he’d come from. It couldn’t have been further than the truth. There didn’t seem like a mean bone in Slim’s body; despite him not knowing what had happened to Honey, he could feel a great deal of empathy between them.

There was still something that unnerved Honey deep within his soul about Slim that he couldn’t quite shake off. The more he thought about it, the more he considered that it wasn’t actually Slim but his own reactions that were unnerving him. 

Honey took another drag of his pipe and tried to rationalise everything. He wasn’t lying when he said he hadn’t met any skeletons he wasn’t related to before. His parents had mentioned a few other families they knew of but they were so spread out he hadn’t thought he’d ever meet any of them, let alone them be around his age and that he’d be attracted to them. _Was it really so surprising that he’d had this reaction though?_ It was biological. His closest marriage prospects beforehand had been other bipedal monsters or any open-minded humans. So it made sense Honey would be attracted to other skeletons, even if he’d been brought up to be above acting on any primal urges. 

He winced at that last thought. He could just hear his father now.

 _Sinful thoughts are as bad as the sin itself!_ he’d yell, _and no sin goes unpunished!_

Honey’s fingers tightened on the window pane as he coughed loudly. He’d taken in too hard of a drag and was now dealing with an unpleasant burn as wispy tendrils of smoke escaped his skull. He couldn’t believe that even in death his father’s words would still have such an effect on him. Honey had already been through enough punishment to last a lifetime despite always trying to follow the straight and narrow path. _So what was the point in it all?_ His siblings were too young and too pure for sin to take hold according to his father’s teachings, so why were they so cruelly punished?!

Realising he was close to tears Honey tried to distract himself with the closest thing possible. His eyes started scanning the tree line as he picked things out in his head until he calmed down. He tried counting trees at first until he realised just how dense and undefined things seemed in the dark of the night. So that didn’t work. He tried instead to focus his eyes as much as possible and try to pick out any details he could. He saw a few creatures in the dark; scurrying around the floor or swooping into the treetops. He thought that he saw a dim light deep within the thicket for a moment before his sockets adjusted and it vanished out of sight. He guessed that it could have been a reflection of the moon on water. He had noticed the small lake in the town when he’d arrived and he guessed that this was a river that flowed into it. He hoped that he’d get an opportunity to walk along the bank in the near future, he’d hate to get lost in the wood but he knew that a river was a perfect guide. If he stayed close and noted which way it flowed then he’d have no problems finding his way back. 

Honey pushed himself off the window and went to the satchel he’d left on the bed. He pulled out the wooden rabbit and set it on the dresser, a small smile forming on his features as he traced the carving marks. It was going to take a lot of work to adjust to all the changes in his life but he had a good feeling about this place.

He wasn’t going to let the ghosts of his past change that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tw: Smoking, Panic/anxiety attack and moderate coping mechanisms mentioned, internal guilt/self deprecation. Honeybbq-Internal thoughts that Honey has with a quick developing crush, also mentions of mystery skeleton from previous chapter in a similar way.
> 
> Find me on tumblr ( 18+) if you wanna follow for updates, fic talk etc <3


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tw in end notes BUT does contain section with Dubcon-elements. Skip forward to end notes for more details.

_  
Honey was surprisingly calm as he watched his house burn to the ground._

_The heat from the flames was just as intense, the feeling of despair just as harrowing, but he knew that it wasn’t real. Knowing didn’t change the fact that the wall of fire licked and seared his bones, nor did it stop the screams of his family ringing around his skull. He didn’t know why he’d been given this insight, this ability to detach himself from the false reality, but he wasn’t going to waste this opportunity._

_There was no denying that he was in a dream._

_And that knowledge gave him control._

_Honey could stay and watch his house go up in smoke again, reliving the pain that he couldn’t escape from in his waking life. Or he could turn away. It felt cruel just to think about it, the guilt as suffocating as the thick smoke spilling from his home. But it wasn’t his home, he was dreaming! There was nothing he could do to change what had already come to pass. What he could do was make a choice on whether he wanted to go through it all again… or walk away._

_It took a lot of strength. Time slowed to a stop as the world around him shifted. Honey eventually turned away from the inferno through sheer willpower alone._

_What met him when he could no longer see the flames wasn’t the ridicule or pointing fingers he feared._

_It was worse._

_Pure darkness surrounded him. Honey was simultaneously terrified by its vastness whilst feeling like he was being consumed by the void from every angle. He tried to turn back to the flames, but it was too late. The novelty of knowing that he was in a dream was disappearing fast and being replaced with overwhelming dread. As was his feeling of control._

_It felt like he shouldn’t be here. Like he was somewhere that no one was supposed to go._

_He wanted to screw his sockets shut and run._

_Run until he escaped or died trying._

_But he was frozen to the spot, unwilling or unable to get his limbs to move again._

_He was no longer an active participant but rather an unwilling spectator to his own demise, screaming desperately inside his head with no one around to hear him._

_But just as Honey was beginning to lose all hope, the world around him changed again._

_The darkness was morphing into more familiar shapes the longer he stared at it’s intimidating mask. Honey wasn’t sure if it was his mind’s way of coping or if this was actually happening. He didn’t care. Anything was better than this._

_Out of nothing came textured bark and knotted roots as a thick forest flickered into view. This was good. Honey reassured himself that his mind was probably filling in the blanks with the last thing he remembered before falling asleep. The relief he felt was only amplified when he realised he was gaining control back over his shaky limbs. He staggered at first but managed to move towards a nearby tree, collapsing against its trunk as he tried to calm himself down._

_Only when his breaths became inaudible did Honey realise he’d made another mistake._

_The forest was foreboding, sure, but he was able to pick out all of the smaller details to calm himself down. He could feel the firm tree at his back and even smell the distinct scent of leaves and mud._

_The problem was that he couldn't hear anything._

_He thought it was because he hadn’t been paying attention at first. Honey tried to listen out for any sounds he would be able to recognise while the panic inside him was rising with every passing moment._

_The whole forest was as silent as the grave._

_Honey didn’t know why that unsettled him so much. Dreams were strange places, that’s all that this was. He tried to rationalise his reaction as residue fear from what he’d just experienced. But that just didn’t feel like it was the case. Everything just felt wrong, like something was about to happen. Something bad._

_As soon as that thought entered his head, the forest was no longer silent._

_Hearing that first noise in the distance made Honey’s soul turn cold. He knew that whatever had made that sound couldn’t have been a small animal or even another monster in the woods. It was distant but deafening; a sharp crack that sounded like a dozen trees snapping in half._

_Honey knew in his core that whatever made that noise was unnatural._

_When he heard it again, he could tell it was coming straight for him._

_He was too tired to move again, too terrified to even think about escaping. It wasn’t like he would be successful even if he could. The more he frantically looked about the trees the more it looked like they were moving._

_That they were closing in around him._

_As soon as that idea went through Honey’s mind, it became his reality. Trees surrounded him completely, blocking out his vision while their branches plunged down towards him. The loud cracks he’d heard earlier were now a series of snaps and creaks as the branches wrapped around his limbs._

_He tried to struggle; they pulled him into the air. Giving him no means to escape._

_He tried to scream, but a flexible arm of bark wound its way around his skull and gagged him before he had the chance._

_He was entirely at their mercy._

_Honey’s senses were overwhelmed with the stench of rotting wood and the scrape of bark against bone. He felt helpless in their grasp, even more so when more branches joined in the fray and begun tearing at his clothes. Honey had been struggling against his bonds but now that he was slowly being stripped bare it no longer felt like he was putting up a fight. The branches were winding up his body, brushing against intimate bones that prickled him with a strange mix of sensations._

_Honey was confused before he had an uncomfortable moment of clarity._

_It felt good._

_...and that was bad._

_Honey had to remind himself that he was still dreaming. If this were real, he wouldn’t be having these reactions._

_Not if he was conscious._

_That did little to stop the heat prickling his body everywhere the branches were currently probing. They were exploring places he’d never had touched by anyone else before, exposing the parts of his body he was taught to hide away. He’d spent his life believing that these kinds of touches were morally wrong, that the only reason for intimacy was for procreation. He’d judged so many people in the past for giving into their sinful temptations, but now he understood their weaknesses._

_How could anyone resist something that felt so incredible?_

_But this was all a dream. Just a series of images conjured by his exhausted subconscious._

_His mind was giving him sensations that didn’t- no- couldn’t feel this good in real life._

_Right?_

_If this internal struggle while he was manipulated against his will wasn’t enough to deal with, something else was happening to his body._

_Honey had long since stopped struggling in favour of trying to figure out while his body no longer felt like it was purely bone. He knew there were things in his kind’s biology that he didn’t fully understand, but this felt like more than whatever was keeping him together. The branches were coiling around limbs he knew he didn’t have but would have sworn it felt like he did. There was no mistaking the branch wrapping around the void in front of his lower spine was stimulating something that made him writhe in its grasp._

_Honey knew that this couldn’t be possible._

_That didn’t make the feeling disappear though. Nor did it stop the mix of desire and fear Honey had about the branch travelling up his leg towards his bare pelvis-_

_-or the anticipation he felt about the rogue branch inches away from his soul._

 

Honey awoke gasping for breath.

The early morning light was doing its best to separate him from a dream that felt far too real for comfort. He knew that he was back in reality, that rational thought would eventually be able to calm him down. He tried to ignore that his bones were tingling just like they’d been in his dream. So much that he didn’t dare to pull back the covers lest he find himself covered with gritty, wet branches.

He’d never experienced anything like this before. Nothing in his memory even came close to how intense that dream had felt. That didn’t make the strange feeling of familiarity disappear. He knew that he'd never been to that forest before. The more he looked out his window, the more he realised it didn’t look a thing like the one surrounding the town. But it had resonated with something deep within his soul. Regardless of that, the whole experience left him shaken. His sheets were clammy, and his shirt was clinging to his back from heavy perspiration. His breathing was slowly returning to normal though, and eventually he rationalised away any ideas of any branches being near his bed. 

What was unsettling was knowing that deep down he wasn’t disgusted by his fantasy.

Part of his mind, a part that was currently a very vocal and demanding, wanted to know what would have happened if the dream had continued. Would he have managed to struggle free? Would he be overpowered and forced to go along with what was happening? _Would he have enjoyed it?!_ Honey’s body ached with a need unlike anything he’d ever experienced before. He knew it wasn’t real, but he couldn’t deny that his bones were calling out to be touched. 

By the branches in his dream, by anyone who was willing to be with him. Even by himself. 

Honey had to hiss through his teeth as while body came alive at that thought. He had a problem, one that he knew was possible to solve by himself. _In theory_. It didn’t help that he had no actual experience with this sort of thing. He’d been told again and again that even the thought of self-pleasure was immoral and dirty, let alone the desire to actually do anything. The only times Honey had ever done anything to himself in the past had always been guilt filled accidents. 

_But in his dream…_ he just had to know if it felt as good as it had in his imagination. 

Honey understood even more so now why so many others struggled with such restraint. His mind was rapidly filling with ideas of how good it would feel, how much relief it would bring him, and how it would give him the chance to re-imagine his dream the way _he_ wanted it. His breathing was uneven as one of his hands tentatively started moving up his leg. Honey couldn’t believe he was even considering doing this, more so now that he was recalling where he was. In the back of his mind he thought he’d be able to stop at any point, that he was just trying to prove that his own touch would be nothing like his dream. But as soon as he felt the drag of his trembling phalanges through the thin material of his pants he knew he’d messed up.

He’d never considered it would feel this good. 

It was too easy to continue trailing up his leg when each second he was hovering around his femurs felt better than the last. Honey wanted to screw his sockets shut and see if he could replicate the feeling of the branches around him. It was a long shot, but he knew he’d be able to pretend it was someone else’s hand if that didn’t work. It was going to be hard picturing anyone who wasn’t a skeleton though, due to his boney fingers.

Honey froze again when his mind filled with sinful images. He really didn’t mind that idea at all. He laid back down on the bed and repositioned himself until he was comfortable before resuming his gentle touches. His sockets flickered shut, gasping softly when his hand became someone else’s. Their fingers trailed higher than before. Even through the fabric of his pants, Honey was trembling with the anticipation of them reaching his pelvic inlet. He’d almost forgotten all of his morals and given in to those desires when a soft knock on his door made him jump.

“Sorry about the early wake-up friend, breakfast is ready.” Slim’s hushed tone travelled through the timber of the door as Honey tried not to compare the knock to the sounds from his dream. 

There was a small pause where Honey tried to will himself to respond in any way he could despite his mouth feeling like it had been rubbed raw. All of the guilt he’d been pushing to the side in favour of exploration came crashing back in all at once. How could he have been so stupid? It might have been the middle of the night but what if Slim or Muffet had heard him, or worse, if they had seen him like this! Honey almost managed to force himself to croak a response, so he didn’t seem suspicious. Slim beat him to the punch. 

“Honey?” Slim’s voice sounded almost gentle as he spoke in a lower tone than before. “Sorry to pry but did something happen? It sounded like you were awake before I knocked.” 

_Oh no._ Slim must have heard him gasping for breath when he woke, or worse, had listened to his whimpers. That realisation filled him with so much shame that was strong enough to override any lingering desires he had. Honey’s body went cold as his mind scrambled to come up with an excuse. 

“No-I um- I’m fine. Just a bad dream” Honey confessed, feeling a little relieved that it wasn’t technically a lie. “I’m fine- really- I’ll just get dressed, and then I’ll be down.”

There was a sound of shuffling feet behind the door as Honey wondered if Slim would buy his excuses before the other skeleton replied in the same gentle tone, “If you’re sure.” 

Honey had to grit his teeth to keep from offering any further replies as he waited for Slim to leave. He only let out the breath he’d been holding when he heard the telltale creaks of someone going down the stairs. _Creaks of wooden floorboards, just like-_ Honey could feel his bones start to prickle again with everything he’d been trying to ignore. Even the most mundane noises were dangerous right now it seemed. He had no idea how he was going to make it through the day. Not to mention how he was going to be around Slim when he’d almost thought of him in a highly inappropriate way. 

He sighed and flung his legs over the side of the bed. He might have been going through some weird things right now, but he couldn’t help worrying that he’d just been rude to the other skeleton. It wasn’t that he didn’t appreciate Slim’s kindness. There was just no way in the world that he’d be willing to explain _that_ dream to anyone. He had already embarrassed himself in front of Slim yesterday, he didn’t need any inappropriate fantasies getting in the way of making a good impression. Just thinking about Slim was causing his body ache and more images flash across his mind. Honey brought both of his hands to his throbbing skull to groan loudly. These weird dreams and strange feelings weren’t welcome on top of everything else he was dealing with. He just wanted to get on with his day, and sitting in bed lamenting his fall into wickedness wasn’t going to help with that. 

But first things first; he needed to get out of the clothes that were clinging to his oversensitive bones.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tw: Dubcon dream section, Erotic nightmare, lucid dreaming, Sexual fantasy, Sexual guilt, Self discovery, Implied masturbation, Hinted Mapleblossom. 
> 
> Find me on tumblr ( 18+) if you wanna follow for updates, fic talk etc <3


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Minor tags in end notes, no triggers, sfw chapter.

Breakfast was interesting. 

Slim gave Honey's attire a quick once over when he came down the stairs over before smiling as politely as possible. Honey had only managed to escape the fire with the clothes on his back, so apart from that one outfit the rest of his wardrobe was a mishmash of clothes he’d been gifted from some of his neighbours that weren’t as suspicious. He had the coin to purchase more he just hadn’t had the chance, and he didn’t want to raise any alarms by refusing from those who were trying to get him back on his feet. The pants he wore were a little too tight around his hips, and the shirt was several sizes too big but it was better than the sweat-soaked alternatives. 

Slim might've had questions about Honey’s odd attire, but thankfully he kept them to himself, handing Honey a bowl of warm porridge when he sat down at the table. He wanted to make small talk to try and get to know the other monster he'd be living with. But something told him that Slim was hesitant to speak for a good reason. He hadn’t seen Muffet at all, leading Honey to assume she was still asleep. He’d been out like a log as soon as his head hit the pillows, so he had no idea how long the tavern had stayed open for, or if Muffet was very particular about when she was woken up. Honey was in no mind to find out either way so he made sure to hold back any questions he had until later in the day. 

But that proved to be particularly humorous when he tried to get Slim’s attention. He’d only been wanting to inquire about getting a drink of water but since Slim was a few feet away with his nose buried in a worn book while he ate this proved to be a challenging task. Honey tried waiting for Slim to look up, tried looking around to find what he needed himself, anything he could think of without making a scene. When that failed he waved at the other skeleton, gradually growing bolder when his attempts didn’t succeed. By the time Slim finally looked up Honey was caught flailing about like a tree in a storm. It was pretty obvious Slim struggled to hide his laughter with the way his shoulders were shaking. He did eventually fetch Honey a drink, pointing out where the mugs were stored so that Honey didn’t have to make a fool of himself again. 

Most of the morning was pretty simple. Honey followed Slim’s lead in keeping his voice low and movements quiet while they cleaned up their meal and started on the day’s tasks. There were glasses to be collected and cleaned, chairs and tables to be moved back to their proper places, and floors to be swept and mopped. Any grogginess Honey felt after his disjointed night’s sleep was dampened by getting himself focused on doing a thorough job. Being the eldest child it often fell on him to clean up after his younger siblings, so cleaning up a bar that only had minimal mess was a walk in the park in comparison. After that it was onto preparing some of the food for the rest of the day. Honey was more than happy being Slim’s kitchen assistant while he made the dough for the pies and bread and went through their stock.

By the time the sun had fully risen over the tree line Honey was already picking up the basics. He knew a few things from helping his mother in the past, but Slim’s hands-on instruction of kneading bread taught him more than he’d ever picked up at home. There was something so therapeutic about aggressively going at the dough that was really soothing to his troubled soul. Honey had been so wrapped up in what he was doing that he didn’t notice Slim had stopped what he was doing midway through kneading a loaf. Not until he felt a small warm hand come to rest on his arm. 

Honey almost jumped right out of his bones at the sight of his new employer stood right behind him. 

“Oh! You really spook easily, don’t you sweetie?” Muffet cooed. 

Honey knew her teasing was all in jest, but it was hard not to be affected considering the ordeal he’d been through overnight. That, and he hadn’t expected such a change in Muffet’s personality. She seemed so much friendlier and more playful than she’d been the night before. Honey was thanking his lucky stars for such a change before embarrassment made him completely shut down. He no longer knew where to look. Muffet was standing far too close in a night robe that was seven shades of inappropriate. He tried to look to Slim for help but noticed the other skeleton’s eyes glimmering with mischievous delight at Honey’s ordeal.

“Sorry- I didn’t- I don’t mean to um-” Honey flushed even further at his garbled speech before trying to shake himself out of it by going back to handling the dough. “Slim was just showing me some of his baking techniques.” 

“Ahuhu~I can see that! Slim will show you whatever you need, don’t you worry~” Muffet was insisted on keeping up her teasing, leading Honey to wonder what exactly she was implying. “I’m pleased to see you so stuck in already,” She gave Honey one last squeeze on his arm before jumping onto a nearby stool to serve herself some tea “I bet you’ve been working really hard, haven’t you?”

“Yes, Ma’am.” Honey tried his best not let his nerves get the better of him by imitating Slim’s way of addressing Muffet instead of the formalities he wanted to include. It no longer seemed right now she was acting so familiar with him either. “I wouldn’t be doing well without the help-” He continued before his skull burnt even hotter when he realised he was yet to thank the other skeleton, "Oh, um- thank you Slim.” 

Honey glanced back to where Slim was stood staring at him before he realised that he hadn’t moved. He wondered if Slim had heard him at all, but he didn’t dare repeat himself for fear of looking even more foolish. 

“And- and Thank you again for taking me on Ms. Muffet.” He added, turning back to the spider while masking how he felt under a sheepish smile

“What a charmer you are!” Muffet giggled again and playfully waved him off with a few of her hands. 

It took all of Honey’s restraint to try to not to notice where Muffet’s robe had slipped open on one of her legs, and even more to keep his expression unchanged. He couldn’t risk showing any discomfort while Slim’s eyes were watching his every move. He didn’t want the other skeleton to think he was judgemental or a prude, especially not after the sinful thoughts he been having about him. Something was off though. Honey was unnerved that Slim had been silent since Muffet entered the kitchen. He had initially put it down to the other skeleton being polite, but now he wasn’t so sure. There was just something unsettling about Slim, no amount of rationalising on Honey’s part could make that go away. It was similar to how he looked when they met yesterday only now Honey was able to place what had bothered him so much. 

It was his eyes. Slim looked like he was staring at Honey at a glance, but there was more to it than that. Slim’s amber eyes were murky and glazed over, like a sheet of white liquid was covering his sockets. Rather than seeming unfocused, it felt like Slim’s gaze was piercing right through Honey’s bones. Like he could see into his very soul. 

“Slim dear?”

Just like yesterday, Muffet was the one to break the tension. Honey watched her lean back in her stool to gain Slim’s attention and snap him out of whatever was going on. This interaction made Honey consider Slim had some kind of ailment that Muffet was aware of. He immediately felt terrible for thinking it was something sinister, and worse still for remembering he’d been staring back. Still, even as the clouds cleared in Slim’s vision Honey couldn’t shake that feeling of unease. Slim had been somewhere else for the past few minutes, sure, but Honey felt like he'd been there with him. 

“Why don’t I finish up in here for now-” Muffet continued while twirling a small spoon in her tea, “-you can show Honey what needs to be done in the barn. Then you can take an early lunch.”

There was a look of intense embarrassment on Slim’s face before he straightened himself out quickly and went back to his typical demeanour, “Yes Ma’am, thank you.” 

Slim quickly averted his eyes and went to the back door, stepping through but keeping it open so Honey could follow him. As soon as Slim thought he was out of sight Honey could see the flickers of shame on his face. It was a painful recognition with Honey knowing anything he said would probably make it worse. He was more convinced now that his reaction to Slim’s ailment was another case of him being paranoid, but it still took him a few moments to actually will his limbs to move. It didn’t help that Muffet was watching him the whole exchange while hiding a knowing smirk behind her teacup. 

“You have fun together dearies~,” She said, giving Honey a wink with one of her lower eyes as he left. 

Honey didn’t catch on to what she was implying until the absolute worst moment. He’d joined Slim at the door and had a moment of realisation when their eyes met. _Muffet thought that they were- oh no_. Honey just about suppressed a squeak while both of their skulls coloured even further, only made worse when they heard Muffet tittering away at their expense. 

Slim led the way into the small barn and started pulling bags of grain off the shelf. He didn’t meet Honey’s eyes like before as he went through where everything was kept and which animals needed tending to. Honey tried to act like he was paying attention, but after what had just happened he was extremely distracted. He wanted to clear the air between them and make sure Slim didn’t feel uncomfortable around him. He also had so many questions as to what had just happened that he knew wouldn’t get answers to unless he wanted to show himself up. Honey knew it was a bizarre thing to think, but he felt like Slim was able to read him like an open book. _Which was reassuring, in a way?_ Hopefully Slim would be able to pick up on Honey’s good intentions over any unbecoming thoughts. And any questions he had could wait; Slim had shown him a courtesy by not prying into his past so he should strive to do the same. 

Both skeletons eventually fell into a comfortable silence while they got on with their work. It felt a lot easier to interact when they had tasks to complete, lessening the building tension to a manageable level. Honey only asked questions when he was unsure of locations but other than that the barn work came like second nature to him. Not just that, but Slim was actually impressed with how well he was able to coax the chickens out of their hutch with soft whistling through his teeth. 

“Damn, I never knew that kinda stuff would actually work,” Slim mused while watching Honey feed some of the birds from his hand, “Guess I’m the one being taught now. You’ve really got a knack for this Honey.”

Honey was standing up to bask in the admiration when he stumbled, pretty much falling into Slim’s arms. Slim caught him instinctively, the contact sending a shiver down Honey’s spine while his mind screamed over being this close to the other skeleton. Slim was warm to touch, a thought that made Honey swoon a little whist Slim’s eyes went wide. 

“Steady there, you ok?” Slim asked in the same concerned tone he’d used this morning.

It made Honey realise he was acting just like a love-struck puppy. It wouldn’t have been a problem if he and Slim were in the same position, but he just seemed confused that Honey was still in his arms. 

“Yeah-um- thanks-” Honey stood up properly, eagerly looking around for a distraction. “Is there anything else you need me to do.”

Slim went along with it, even though his fingers were still grazing Honey’s arms. “A rake? If you’d be so kind that is, It’s stored in that stall.”

Honey followed where Slim was pointing and walked away without a second glance. He could feel his soul hammering in his chest but chose to ignore it. That moment had been far too cliché to mean what he wanted it too, and he’d had enough of his mind wandering to last him a lifetime. After a bit of absent-minded searching, he came across one of the semi-open stalls. It gave him answers to another burning question that had been bothering him since last night. There was a thin bedspread with a few weather-worn boxes full of various living essentials in the stall, leading Honey to believe it must be where Slim stayed at night. He noticed that there was also animal hair on the bedspread when he looked closer, which only brought up more questions. It was dark and fine, not like any of the animals he’d seen in the barn. It led Honey to conclude that Slim might be keeping a stray animal with him secretly since he’d never mentioned a pet. If that was the case, and Muffet didn’t know, then Honey was going to keep this discovery to himself. 

He retrieved the rake and left without dawdling, hoping that he’d be able to earn Slim’s trust enough in the coming weeks that he might be let in on the secret. After all, Honey had to leave all of his family’s animals behind despite missing them dearly, so he understood that bond more than most. It was hard not to get lost in the fantasy of finding those home comforts here in the future. 

Especially if it wasn’t just the animals that he thought about snuggling down with through the coming winter months.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tags: More Honeybbq and possibly muffyrus if you want to read it that way!


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sfw chapter, references to Human/monster racism, some spoiler pairings in the tags ;).

When the all the animals were taken care of, the two skeletons picked up the lunch Slim had prepared this morning and went off into town. According to Slim, it was better if they had their more substantial meal earlier in the day instead of at supper. They could snack but there wasn’t time for a full dinner until the tavern stopped serving food, and by then they’d only want to crawl into bed and get some well-deserved sleep. Honey knew it was going to take some time for him to adjust to but he was more than willing to try. Before he came to town Honey had been worried about finding bed and board at all, and he was well aware that he’d been extremely fortunate. Honey had only been shadowing the other skeleton for a few hours, but he could already tell that Slim was an excellent cook. Sandwiches were a boring meal to some, but Honey felt famished from the smell alone. 

There was comfort in eating with another skeleton too. Whenever Honey met someone new he had a hard time explaining how beings that seemed to be made up of only bone were able to eat normally. Monsters and humans alike wouldn’t be able to understand how food went into their mouths and disappeared into thin air. Some forward-thinking scientists and doctors had made a few advances on being able to explain that there was more than met the eye with skeletons and similar monsters in the past few decades though. There was no definitive answer as of yet, so until then Honey was stuck explaining how he felt hunger and was able to taste food despite the lack of logic involved. It was comforting to know that he’d not have to go through that with Slim, but also that the townsfolk would be sort of used to it by now. It only made the idea of a peaceful and tasty lunch that much sweeter. 

As they walked further into Hydeford Honey noticed just how diverse it really was. The main road was filled with townsfolk going about their own days. Some were delivering their wares to various shops, a small group was working on repairing a shop front, and others were out shopping for supplies. Honey even passed a fenced playground, which he took to be the school yard, on account of the rowdy group of monster and human children playing together. This was the crux of why this town was so different from the place he’d grown up in. Sure the humans he’d known were civil enough, but he’d never known a place where both groups were as integrated together like they were here. Historically some groups of humans had a habit of thinking that they were above monster kind, which had sadly lead to conflict and occasionally bloodshed on both sides. While most of Hydeford seemed friendly enough, there was no denying the small group Honey had seen in the tavern were of that same mindset. He’d almost forgotten about them until he recognised a woman from that group stepping out of a nearby shop. He wasn’t sure at first, but when she looked both him and Slim up and down with a dirty look, there wasn’t any mistaking her. 

It unnerved Honey’s soul to know that some humans were so discriminatory even in a place like this. He just had to hope he wouldn’t have a run in with one or more of them until he was more accustomed to his new surroundings. 

Slim led the way to the green space in the centre of the town and sat down on a bench before motioning Honey to do the same. The bench was a little on the small side for two which made Honey’s limbs brush against Slim’s when he sat down. He tried not to dwell on how sensitive he still felt, or how reassuring it felt being so close to the other skeleton. He poured all of his attention onto the sandwich he was given instead. He didn’t think to ask what was in it since it was hard not to shove the whole thing in his mouth with it smelling so good. The taste was indescribable. Honey had thought that the freshly baked bread last night had been good, but that was nothing compared to the blend of soft meats and fresh produce. There was a sauce too, something sweet that complimented it perfectly. Honey wasn’t sure if he’d mentioned his affection for anything on the sweeter side or if it was Slim’s speciality, but after a few bites he could no longer keep his praises to himself. 

“Oh, wow-” Honey said with half of his bite still in his mouth, completely forgetting his usual manners. “This is incredible Slim. What on earth do you put in them?”

Slim snickered under his breath, “Can’t give you all my secrets on the first day, can I?” He teased before taking a small bite out of his own sandwich, continuing when he’d chewed enough to swallow. “There are a few reasons why Muffet puts up with me, being decent in the kitchen is definitely top of the list. This is nothing compared to my pies though, I should really make a pumpkin one for you to try since they’re in season.” 

“I’d love that, I hope that Muffet wants to keep me on so I’ll get the chance to soon,” Honey replied.

He froze immediately after the words left his mouth. Honey wasn’t sure what had made him talk so openly, and now he was terrified he’d said too much. The familiarity of the situation had loosened his tongue, and now Slim was regarding him with an expression that made him want to hide. Not because he felt threatened though. No, Slim just looked so open and understanding. Honey feared he wouldn’t be able to stop himself from saying other things he shouldn’t.

“I can’t see why she wouldn’t-” Slim took another bite then shifted on the bench so that he was facing Honey properly, “-what makes you say that?” 

“Well, she was quite- um -” Honey thankfully managed to stop himself to think this time. He didn’t want to say that Muffet was aggressive despite him having the initial impression that she would have had kicked him to the curb if he’d said the wrong thing last night. “-Guarded. At first, that is. This morning she was like a whole different monster.”

Slim nodded, taking a few more bites of his sandwich as while he listened. He looked deep in thought as he went over Honey’s words before a knowing smile crept onto his face. 

“I’m gonna guess she asked how you knew we were hiring?”

“Yeah.” Honey sighed with relief, “That’s exactly what happened.” 

Slim nodded again and then did a quick look around where they were sat to see if anyone was close by, prompting Honey to do the same. The few roads leading up to the town’s center were full of life despite it barely being noon, another sign that Hydeford really was more populated than it seemed at first. Thankfully everyone seemed to be busy with their own days rather than taking notice of the two skeletons on the bench, and the steady hum of noise actually gave their conversation privacy. When Slim was satisfied he leaned in closer so he could lower his voice and enlighten Honey on the other side of the story. Their height difference highlighted that Slim really did tower over him. But it wasn’t like Honey minded that idea one bit.

“You see, The Spinner’s arms is doing well. Really well,” Slim explained, “The town is growing, and we’re well known for our food and hospitality. So much so that not everyone can get in when they want, which is why Muffet has been talking about expanding-”

“That’s great!” Honey interjected a little too loudly, “Sorry, It’s just- It’s really good to hear that anyone is doing good out here.” 

“It’s fine. I agree, but not everyone does.” 

Slim took another bite of his sandwich, whether he was anxious about continuing or building dramatic tension Honey couldn’t tell.

“You see, there’s a particularly loud human family who have been vocally opposed to Muffet’s tavern since she set it up. Everyone’s ignored ‘em for the most part, but now they’re talking about setting up their own place.” Slim’s amber eyes flickered up to Honey’s at this point, the slight smile returning to his scarred features. “Which is why Muffet would be suspicious about an outsider just happening to know she needs help. She wanted to make sure you weren’t working for them undercover y’know. You must have done something right, or she would’ve sent you packing.”

Honey tried to nervously laugh off that last statement despite knowing Slim was serious. It didn't take a genius to figure out who that family might be either. Slim was right about Muffet's suspicions dying too. The spider's coldness towards him hadn't lasted, and she had been _very_ familiar with him this morning. Honey tried to remember their conversation word for word, recalling that Muffet has softened towards him as soon as he’d mentioned his cousin’s letter. 

“Um, well- I think talking about Dr. Gaster did it. He’s my cousin, I had planned to come to stay with him. If I didn’t mention him I don’t think I’d be sat here with you, to be honest,” Honey took in a shaky breath, preparing to ask a question that he hadn’t noticed was bugging him until now. “Were they close?”

“The Doc and Muffet? No, not really-” Slim stopped himself, waving the hand that didn’t have his sandwich as if he thought he’d said something unintentionally offensive, “-Don’t get me wrong, I think he’s a great guy. Muffet does too. He always paid on time and was civil to everyone in the tavern, especially me and Muffet. He mostly kept to himself and worked on his research, I don’t think he was that close to anyone here.” 

With that Slim finished talking, going back to his sandwich and drinking from one of the flasks. Although Honey was puzzled by that reaction, he tried not to let it show. If he was honest, he knew very little about what his cousin did for his work. _And why he’d come to such an odd town in the first place._ Honey thought about asking Slim what the Doctor had been researching but then thought the better of it. Gaster was a private man, as far as Honey knew he hadn’t mentioned what he was working on to anyone in his family. His letters were always surface level stuff; pleasantries and mundane observations about the weather or other members of their extended family he’d heard from. If Gaster wasn’t telling his family, Honey doubted he'd be willing to share with relative strangers. Instead Honey thought it was best to swing the conversation back to Muffet now he was seeing her odd behaviour in a new light. 

“Well when you put it like that, she doesn’t seem as-”

Honey didn’t get to finish his sentence. His eyes had wandered away from Slim and back to the busy street while they were talking and had landed on someone he recognised. There in the road, walking through the small crowd like a ray of sunshine through the trees, was the Skeleton in the window. Honey was partially convinced that he’d imagined seeing them the night before, but here they were in broad daylight looking even more radiant. The dress they wore was a beautiful blend of yellow and cream complemented by the small wicker basket they held on a delicately gloved hand. But it wasn’t just how they looked that drew Honey to them. They gave off an aura of being both kind and approachable, something Honey was struggling to resist. It wasn’t just him either. This skeleton looked to be out shopping, only they kept getting distracted by striking up a conversation with everyone who went past. 

It was only when he heard Slim snicker did Honey remember where he was. And that he had just been caught staring at a stranger. He averted his eyes while his skull flushed heavily, mortified over what Slim must think of him now. He didn’t expect Slim’s laugh to grow stronger, or for the other skeleton to playfully nudge him in the ribs to regain his attention. 

“There’s no need to look so guilty friend. I had the same reaction when I first met him-” Slim nodded in the direction of where the mystery skeleton was stood, just in case Honey hadn’t been embarrassed enough. “I’ve never known anyone that high up to have such good intentions. He really does draw you in, right?” 

Honey knew he was meant to feel reassured by that shared experience, but he only felt worse. He’d been hoping that something might develop between himself and Slim despite himself, but that was obviously not going to happen now. Who would want someone who couldn’t control himself in public and had been gawking at another? At least, that’s how things _should_ be. Even though he was angry at himself, he didn’t feel that same anger coming from Slim. If anything Honey had been offered an opportunity to ask another burning question. 

“Who is he?” He whispered. 

“His name is Papyrus. His family founded the town, they’re the ones in the statue?” 

Honey followed where Slim was pointing, seeing the town’s statue for the first time in the light of day. His brow bone furrowed as he made out more of the details. The statue definitely wasn’t of a skeleton family. They were large monsters with visible fur and horns that reminded Honey of goat monsters more than anything else. They had the same kind faces though. The statue depicted them with their arms open wide, hugging a variety of monster and human children. 

“Papyrus was adopted, obviously.” Slim explained, “While some of the townsfolk thought that meant he’d have to step down when they died, it never happened. He actually cares about the town and all of its inhabitants. It's not an exaggeration when they say he’s the reason we’re doing so well in the middle of nowhere.” 

_Papyrus._ Honey went over the skeleton’s name in his head a few times before he dared look up again, disappointed to find that he’d disappeared into one of the stores. There was something oddly comforting about knowing that a Skeleton was in charge here. Despite not knowing anything other than what Slim had told him, Honey knew in his soul that Papyrus was a decent monster. That and there was a feeling of kinship between skeleton kind since they were so spread out, one that transcended class or wealth. 

“So, I’m guessing that means you’re not related then?” Honey asked, hoping that even in this frank conversation he hadn’t crossed a line. 

“You’d be right. Don’t worry, I can see why you’d think that-” Slim replied while shooting Honey a teasing wink, “This place just seems to attract a lot of our kind. Some are only here for a while, like your cousin, but others stay and make it their home. Like me.”

Honey was satisfied with that answer for mere moments. Reading between the lines, he spotted Slim’s implications with a growing feeling of excitement. 

“Does that mean? Are there more skeletons?” He asked, almost jumping out of his seat when Slim nodded. “Where?”

“Around.” Slim sighed and turned to face Honey fully again, “Which does bring me to something I’ve been meaning to talk to you about-”

All of the heat drained from Honey’s skull when he noticed the other skeleton’s sombre expression. Slim wasn’t messing around any more. 

“-Whatever you do,. Don’t go into the woods.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tags: Some more HoneyBbq, but you're getting one sided HoneyBlossom too (and maybe some subtle mapleblossom) :D


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> First of the Halloween updates! 2nd one was meant to be tonight but, well, you may know of something undertale related that happened today XD It's finished but not edited, So the next update will be tomorrow! <3  
> Some very mild spoiler tags in the end notes (inc ship), sfw chapter.

Honey was convinced that he'd either misheard Slim or that this was some kind of ruse. 

He tried searching the other skeleton's face for anything that might give away what he was thinking. Instead of the smile Honey was becoming quite fond of, Slim looked deadly serious. He'd stopped eating, and although he was trying to hide it, Honey caught the way he'd keep glancing around to check that no one was nearby. It felt like Slim was about to tell him a secret, like this knowledge was something that he shouldn't be privy to. If Honey wanted to find out more he was going to have to treat it as such regardless of how bizarre a turn their conversation had taken. 

“What do you mean?” He whispered back. 

“The Forest-” Slim gestured to the tree-line surrounding them as if the concept of woods was what he was struggling to grasp. “Don’t go into it. At least for now, and definitely never on your own. It’s in your best interest, trust me.”

It was evident that the conversation would have ended then and there if it were up to Slim. He averted his eyes again and went back to picking at his food, pretending like it wasn't all an act. Honey wanted to trust him without question, he really did, but so much just didn’t add up for him. This was a town built in the centre of a forest, but he was meant to believe it’s residents never strayed outside of its borders? Part of Honey’s mind was telling him to just leave it. Any personal desire he had over going into the woods alone had been dampened by his dream last night. But surely the only way to understand what he had to fear would be to know why. And if he didn’t ask Slim now then who knew when he’d get the chance again. 

With his soul hammering in his chest Honey said a silent prayer that he wasn’t about to offend the other skeleton. 

“Surely the resources of the forest are invaluable out here? And it seems so peaceful, why would anyone stay away, did something happen?” Honey blurted out before he lost his nerve, immediately regretting how he’d gone about it when he saw Slim flinch. “I just want to understand, so that I don’t-”

“-It’s not safe” Slim interrupted, his voice finally matching his intimidating stature, “-And you don’t want to give anyone a reason to be more suspicious about you.”

That one sentence made the panic that Honey had been trying to keep at bay bubble over in an instant. He’d been so vigilant in reassuring himself that all lingering looks or whispers between the townsfolk when he passed were being grossly exaggerated by his own hangups. Now he wasn’t so sure. Honey could feel himself spiralling already, but thankfully Slim picked up on it too. He placed a hand on Honey’s leg and squeezed to get his attention, offering him an apologetic smile as soon as their eyes met. 

“Sorry. I really worded that wrong, didn’t I? It’s not you, Honey. You’ve not done anything other than being a newcomer. Everyone here is just really suspicious of outsiders until they prove them otherwise, take it from me.” Slim laughed at that, his eyes temporarily leaving Honey’s face in favour of staring at the bit of bench between them. “I just want to look out for you, you know? I’ve seen what this town does to people when they think the worst of them.”

Slim features were etched with genuine concern even now, leading Honey to believe that he wasn’t just saying this to make him feel better. He could feel himself getting a little emotional despite his inner voice telling him to calm down. It was such an unusual feeling to have his worries picked up on by so quickly by someone else. To have them acknowledged rather than dismissed was utterly foreign to him. Because of this Honey felt compelled to elaborate on why he’d been so insistent in the first place. 

“Yeah, don’t worry I understand you didn’t mean-” Honey stopped himself just short of rambling about his own insecurities. Even he knew that one sliver of kindness didn’t mean he had the right to fall apart on Slim. He needed to remember what had started all of his worries in the first place and refocus on that. “I-um- I just want to know why I should be avoiding the forest- just so I don’t do something wrong- accidentally I mean.” 

Whatever had been causing Slim to hold back definitely buckled somewhat at this point. He sighed heavily and came even closer, dropping his voice to barely above a whisper again. 

“Look, before I start you have to remember that most of the town’s residents are born here, raised here, and will probably die here too. So certain things may seem strange to outsiders, I know I didn’t get it at first either.” Slim’s smile came back, but it was strained like he was struggling to keep his own emotions in check too. “-But this is a real problem to them, rumour or not. Do you understand?”

Honey nodded. He could tell that Slim was uncomfortable talking so openly and that he wasn’t going to continue unless Honey gave confirmation that he was willing to be open minded. He was confused as to why Slim needed to provide a disclaimer, but it only intrigued him more. 

“So, there are rumours. Rumours that have surrounded the town and its origins for as long as anyone can remember. Some call them children’s stories, but since they keep getting passed down through generations and those children grow up, it’s more than that now. It’s ingrained in their culture.” Slim gave one more nervous glance around before continuing, his voice barely audible over the bustle of the town. “These stories all have one common theme. That the forest is home to some unspeakable things.”

Honey’s scepticism was disappearing by the moment as he was drawn in by Slim’s words. “Like what?” he asked before thinking better of it. 

“Depends on who you ask,” Slim continued even quieter than before. “Some mothers tell their children that there are beasts as tall as houses who will eat you alive. Adults swap stories about how they went into the woods and felt like their actions were being controlled by an unseen force. There have even been some instances where the townsfolk have reported seeing figures in the dead of night; chanting incantations and surrounding themselves in unnatural light-”

“-You don’t mean-” Honey jumped in, hardly able to hear Slim over the pounding of his own soul in his skull, “-like...witchcraft?!”

“Keep your voice down! Even talking about it can get you-” 

Slim stopped his sentence dead in its tracks as he looked over Honey’s shoulder. Moments later a small group of human women walked passed with their baskets full of groceries, laughing and chatting away like they hadn’t a care in the world. Honey felt his soul sink more when the woman he’d recognised earlier was amongst their ranks. Thankfully no one paid them any mind, leaving him alone with Slim and a bucket load of unresolved tension. 

The next few moments of silence seemed to last for hours while Honey tried to calm himself down. Slim’s explanation had only garnered more questions in him, ones that he wasn’t sure he wanted the answers to. Slim had mentioned they were just stories, so he shouldn’t be jumping to conclusions so quickly. But if Honey was right, then it explained why the town was so suspicious of outsiders. And why Slim had been reluctant to talk in the first place. Honey watched as the initial panic of being overheard faded from Slim with the other skeleton eventually turning back to him. 

“Sorry. It’s just if anyone hears you saying _that_ word out loud, even in question. They’ll think- they'll think you’re one of them.”

“What? Why would they think that I’m-” Honey paused when Slim’s eyes grew wide. He wasn’t used to watching his tongue over things like this, but he was beginning to see why it was necessary. If the townsfolk were this on edge then there had to be a reason. “Sorry. I-um- I’ve always just thought they were children’s stories, and not- not something to actually fear.” 

“They are stories, but that doesn’t mean that folks here don’t believe them. Which is why it’s such a real threat, they think the woods is home to a whole host of magical beings-”Slim ’s tone lowered, making Honey hang on his every word, “Most sane minds are able to put it down to misunderstandings or even thinking that the forest is cursed. But a vocal minority will swear blind that they’ve seen them. In the dead of night, practising their craft in the woods... and worse.”

Honey felt a chill travel from the base of his skull all the way down his spine. He didn’t need to ask what the worse was. His mother used witches as the villains in cautionary tales, telling about how they sacrificed the innocent for their rituals and cast spells on others to do their bidding. However, Honey's father turned those stories into something much more sinister. He’d say that witches could be anyone, your friend, neighbour, or even your own kin. All of them drawn to the path of sin who would make unholy bonds with demons in exchange for their magic. Despite growing older and realising that they were fables, the idea of witches had never really left Honey's mind. 

“So, this is why I wanted to warn you. Every decent citizen steers clear of the woods, and you should too.” Slim said, placing one of his hands over Honey’s in a gesture of reassurance. “You don’t want to give them any more reason to think that you’re any cause for concern when they’re already wary, y’know?”

Honey was conflicted. He could tell that Slim had his best interests at heart and was just trying to look for him. It didn't stop doubts gnawing at his mind though. He could easily believe that a town so isolated as this would have a collective phobia, but to keep such a story alive there had to be some truths between the fabrications. He’d been taught that there was no smoke without fire, but just the idea of the metaphorical fire in this situation terrified him. There was definitely more to the story than Slim was willing to tell him, but he knew that taking the other skeleton's advice would be in his best interests. For now at least.

“Yeah, I understand,” Honey eventually added. He wanted to change the subject to combat the tension in the air, so he thought back to what had brought this talk on in the first place and found his answer, “So, what about the other skeletons?”

It was Slim’s turn to smile then, his brow bone raising in surprised at the sudden shift. It made Honey’s still trapped hand tingle from the touch of Slim’s larger one. 

“You’ll meet them at some point I’m sure. Don’t worry too much, I just didn’t want you going looking in places you shouldn’t.” Slim’s eyes sparkled with mischief as his smile grew wider, “Or getting yourself in more trouble than you can handle,” he moved his hand away with a heavy sigh of relief as his eyes drifted back towards the town. Slim almost looked peaceful, until something made him jolt up in alarm, “Damn! We’ve really been talking for too long. An angry mob is one thing, but it’s nothing compared to how terrifying Muffet can get.” 

Honey laughed at that. Actually laughed, not just the nervous half-laugh he’d been doing far too much of since he came here. He could only imagine being bombarded by the angry spider monster who’d probably use some of her many hands to clip them both around the skull. The idea of Muffet’s rage was intimidating for him, but imagining Slim having to duck down for the spider to reach him was really cracking Honey up. Slim caught second-hand laughter for a little while, but his expression throughout was puzzling. He was looking at Honey as one would an old friend, something that made Honey feel immediately self-conscious over. 

“Um- Is everything ok?” He asked as he felt his skull heating up for the umpteenth time that day. 

“Yeah, fine. Your laugh is just really-” Slim’s eyes flickered up to Honey’s before he could finish his sentence.

Honey felt like all the air was sucked out of him at once. Slim’s face was slightly flushed and his eyes sparkling, reminding Honey just how close they were sat. Slim was leaning over him, with his face turned down and Honey’s turned upwards. Like they were on the precipice of doing something much more than talking. Slim wasn’t an idiot, there was no way he wasn’t reading something more between them if he couldn’t finish his sentence. What surprised Honey was that he wasn’t moving away or trying to change their positions. Honey might have been screaming internally about them going about everything wrong, but that didn’t stop the longing for Slim to close the gap between them forming in his mind. 

Sadly, _or more like thankfully_ , that wasn’t meant to be. 

“We really should get going,” Slim eventually added before pushing himself to his feet.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tags: Honeybbq, Mentions of witches, scaremongering.


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Second of the Halloween updates! Next update will be Wednesday 7th <3

Honey busied himself with packing up the basket to hide the prominent flush of his skull. He pushed aside any thoughts of berating himself to the side in favour of following Slim back to the tavern. Though it was tempting. Honey knew that he was stretched far too thin with everything to be at his best, but that only made it harder to keep his negative thoughts at bay. 

They made a quick stop at one of the general stores just like Slim had promised the night before. Knowing that they were pushed for time, Honey picked out the first Pipe that looked similar to one he used to use as well as a small bag of tobacco. Slim let him pay for the pipe but pushed aside the tobacco Honey had chosen for two bags of ‘the good stuff’.He paid for them himself despite Honey’s protests over it being fair, saying that Honey would have plenty of time to pay him back in the future. Honey wasn’t sure why such a simple statement made him feel lightheaded but chalked it up to something else he could yell at himself about later. He followed Slim out the store before he had the chance to dwell on it further. 

They managed to return to the tavern in good time considering they’d gotten distracted. Muffet didn’t seem too bothered about their dawdling, but she did jump straight into filling Slim in with what still needed to be done when they entered the kitchen. She may have looked focused but Honey noticed some of her eyes wandering over them both, like she was looking for any indication on how their time alone went. Slim either didn’t pick up on this or was used to this behaviour. While Honey was embarrassed over Muffet’s blatant matchmaking, he couldn’t help wondering how their developing relationship read. He and Slim were bonding over numerous things, which despite Honey’s rapidly growing crush he could still see it as a good thing. If Muffet could see they worked well together then maybe his position in both their lives would become more permanent. 

The time went quickly as both Slim and Honey worked on cooking and baking for the night ahead. As soon as Muffet opened her doors things went from being moderately paced to full-on mania. Honey did his best to stay out from under Slim’s feet as much as possible and did everything he was asked. They worked out an efficient system after a while. Muffet would give Honey the orders, Slim would finish off the dishes and cook any extras while Honey fetched supplies, and then Honey would either pass the plates to Muffet or deliver them to the patrons himself. 

It was nerve-wracking at first, especially when Honey was convinced he was going to mess up the most simple tasks. He could get the hang of working with Slim one on one just fine, it was mostly when he was interacting with others. Either by luck or Muffet’s careful planning, Honey was only asked to serve the most receptive patrons. It was hard to listen to the voice inside his skull telling him he wasn’t doing things right when an elemental monster told him he was doing a great job or when a young couple tipped extra to congratulate him on his first night. Honey even saw the father from the family he’d helped move here who wished him luck when he passed by. By the end of the night, Honey was much more relaxed. He happily made small talk instead of being worried he was shaking so much that he end up dropping the food. 

All in all, Honey’s first night was a success. When they stopped taking orders, it quietened down a little, giving him time to reflect while he and Slim cleaned the kitchen. Honey couldn’t help but indulge in his good mood as it felt like a huge weight had been lifted from his shoulders. He had a spring in his step and a grin on his face as he helped Slim finish off in the kitchen. The other skeleton definitely picked up Honey’s high spirits as well, his own face bearing a warm smile as he scrubbed down the pots and pans. They fell into a comfortable conversation while they cleaned, reminding Honey of the times his whole family would chatter away after hosting their neighbors for dinner. It might have been dark and cold outside with the time of year, but Honey felt a comforting warmth radiating from his soothed soul. 

The atmosphere only got more playful when Honey snuck a few pots into the sink a little too hastily, making a splash of soapy water land right on Slim’s shirt. Rather than be offended, Slim saw this as an invitation to put Honey in the same state and immediately splashed him back. By the time Muffet came to the kitchen to relieve them for the night, they were giggling like a couple of schoolchildren whilst covered in soap suds. Honey immediately apologised while Slim tried to hide his face, but Muffet was already drawing her own conclusions. Honey was far too flushed to look Slim in the eyes after that, finishing off what he was doing quickly before bidding them both goodnight. Though he would have happily chatted the night away with the other skeleton, his conscience was starting to pipe up. 

He had far more than enough excitement for one day. And all this frivolity felt more than a little disrespectful to Honey’s late family. By all accounts, he should still be in mourning. Even though the world didn’t stop turning, and he needed to move on in order to survive on his own, he wasn’t exactly living in a way that honored their memory. It was high time he called it a night and went straight to bed. 

This was an excellent plan.... _At first._ Honey was still exhausted from his journey, the full day’s work and disjointed night’s sleep only adding to that feeling. He had all intentions of having a quick smoke, getting into bed, and going straight to sleep. Of course, nothing in his life was ever that simple. He thought it was the noise from downstairs keeping him up at first. The tavern was still open, and though it was kept at a low hum, Honey felt like every little sound was stopping him from falling asleep. He didn't want to admit it at first, but deep down he knew that his inability to zone things out was just a symptom of a much bigger problem. The longer he laid in bed, the more he was assaulted by intrusive thoughts. At first, it was anxieties over falling asleep again considering the dream he’d had last night. His mind quickly got bored once those thoughts scared him enough to snap open his sockets, he was then bombarded by all the social faux pas he’d made during the day. 

Honey knew he’d was being reckless and behaving inappropriately. He’d been in town scarcely over a day, and he was already getting into situations way over his head. Denying that he was developing feelings for Slim seemed foolish at this point despite the short time frame. He tried to tell himself that it would pass, that he’d never had a sweetheart or more than fleeting crushes. So how could he tell the difference between a meaningful attraction and the momentary feeling of lust? He didn’t know if Slim was spoken for either! Honey didn’t get the impression that the other skeleton was the type to willingly hurt someone’s feelings, but Slim would surely be able to court anyone he wanted. Slim was tall, strong, genuinely kind, and had a smile that would melt even the hardiest of souls. _Why would he ever choose a small-town dullard with nothing to his name?_ Honey was delusional if he thought he was even close to being on the same level as such an incredible monster. 

Papyrus seemed like he’d be a more suitable match no matter how much it hurt to think about. Honey had to wonder why Papyrus and Slim weren’t together, or why Slim spoke so openly about his attraction with no indication that they were a couple. Slim was obviously just as taken by Papyrus as Honey was, and from what Slim had said the town’s leader had little concern over class or status. There was a high possibility that someone in Papyrus’s position was already promised to wed a noble from a neighbouring town or similar. Still, that seemed like something Slim would have mentioned to deter Honey’s lingering gaze. _Or even his own._ Honey shook his head and rolled to his side to sit up. There were too many things that didn’t add up, and ruminating in bed how he didn’t measure up wasn’t helping him in the slightest. He needed to _do_ something. 

Going through the multitude of books that Gaster had left behind was Honey’s first choice of distraction. He fumbled for the matches he’d left on his bedside table to light a candle and came back to bed with a few books that he liked the look of. They seemed interesting enough, one even had an intricate illustration etched into the leather cover. The only problem was that they were written in a terribly messy hand, one that was almost indecipherable in candlelight. Honey recognised that some scribbled notes resembled a more fluid version of Gaster’s handwriting, but most of the main text was unrecognisable. From the few phrases he managed to pick out it was almost like a recipe book, but the ingredients were unlike anything you’d ever want in a kitchen. It had to be some medical manual despite its odd format, and as such it might as well have been written in a foreign language. 

Honey was back to square one, simultaneously exhausted and wide awake. He needed to take a walk. Both to clear his head, to show himself that the night was nothing to fear. It would give him a small chance to explore the town alone so he could familiarise himself further. After all, knowledge was the natural enemy of fear. A little perspective would surely cure his insomnia.

Slipping out of the tavern without any questions was easy enough. Since they were only serving drinks at this time of night, everyone was crowded near the bar and paid him no mind. Muffet didn't notice him either; she was caught up in a deep conversation with the same elemental who had been kind to him earlier. Honey was able to leave quickly, walking out the front door and immediately ducking around a corner. He hadn’t thought to grab his coat since it had been so warm in his room, so the cold night air was a bit of a shock to his system. His shirt had almost completely dried from earlier, so rather than heading back he bundled his arms to his chest and started walking. A little cold wasn’t going to affect him as much as fleshier beings, and it would definitely help clear his burdened mind more than staying in his room. 

Once Honey made his way off the main road he stuck mostly to the shadows that the forest cast on the town. He was pleasant to anyone who passed him, but he tried not to be seen for the most part. Slim’s words about Hydeford's residents being suspicious of newcomers had really stuck in his mind, and he didn’t think his night-time stroll and odd attire would help his current position either. Luckily, it wasn’t a bright night. The crescent moon did little to illuminate through the trees, and due to a thick fog the lanterns were hazy and cast a much dimmer glow around them. He eventually found a path behind a row of houses that seemed abandoned, the only light coming from candles in bedroom windows. It was perfect. 

Honey wasn’t sure how long he planned to wander, only that he wanted to push past his exhaustion so that he could return with a clearer mind. From what limited visibility he had the path seemed to curve around the perimeter of the town. He guessed it was some kind of marker, a way of showing where the town ended, and the forest began whilst also providing a convenient way to travel around. In a way, it was giving him the woodland walk he’d been craving the night before without any of the risks. _and with an easy escape if any branches moved toward him._ Honey shuddered at that thought, giving the dense forest to his right a suspicious glance. It seemed that no amount of logical thinking was going to shake away the effects of his disturbing dream any time soon.

It was a good ten minutes of walking and letting his mind drift off before Honey came to a fork in the road. One direction cut through the row of houses and led back into town, and the other snaked off into thick of the woods. Instead of taking the obvious route and heading straight back to the tavern, Honey paused and let his sockets slip shut. He wasn’t quite ready to return home and would have gladly kept walking for much longer than the path allowed. Luckily just taking a moment to listen to the sounds of the night was a close second when it came to soothing his soul.

At least it was until he heard a loud _snap_ that was far too close for comfort. 

All at once Honey was hit with the cold of the night and fear gripping his very core. He tried to stay as still as possible while his eyes searched the heavy fog for both friend and foe. It was unlikely that the noise originated from the town, but Honey couldn’t bring himself to check the forest in case the stories Slim had told him were true. When he eventually dared to look he said a silent prayer of thanks. His soul was still pounding, but he was thankful that there wasn’t a monstrous beast the size of a building looking to make him their next meal. 

But he did see something. 

There was an animal stood along the path into the woods. Honey could make out that it stood on all fours and was covered in thick fur that looked almost black in what little he could see in the dark. His immediate thought was that this animal was a wolf or similar, but something didn’t add up. Slim never mentioned there being any creatures like this in the area, and the sheep in town were left to roam with little protection. If there were a wolf pack nearby then surely the town would be more vigilant. There was something else unnerving about the beast as well, one that made Honey’s soul feel like it was going a mile a minute. The beast hadn't moved an inch since he noticed it, and with the way they were stood they had to be looking right at him. 

Honey panicked. 

He tried to move his shaky limbs in a motion to run away and ended up tripping on the uneven ground. 

Time slowed to a stop as he fell down a nearby ledge and landed right in a freezing puddle of mud. 

Honey yelped before immediately gritting his teeth. He looked up with an overwhelming fear that the beast would be springing forward to attack. But there was nothing there. The road ahead was now clear, any sign of the wolf-like creature had vanished into the thick fog. 

_...Shit._

Honey groaned as he took in the reality of his situation. Ruining one set of clothing wasn’t enough apparently, Honey had to go and get mud all over these ones too. This wasn’t something he could cover up easily either, he’d have to talk to Muffet or Slim to find out where he could wash them as soon as possible. Great. Honey had all but decided he was going to give up and become the town fool when another, much softer, noise pulled his attention. Someone was definitely behind him and had probably seen his entire ordeal. A million excuses were on his mind when he turned around and promptly felt his jaw drop. 

_The other Skele-_ No. They couldn’t be, at least not fully. This monster wore a full-length cloak and hood, but Honey could still make out their skull and a few exposed vertebrae. That was where their similarities stopped. Their _flesh?_ \- whatever made up their body was a luminescent scarlet, giving off a soft glow even through their clothing. In the dark Honey couldn’t tell if their bones were visible through their body, though it definitely seemed opaque in nature. Their body from the neck downwards was similar to that of a human’s, with soft curves and a prominent chest highlighted by a neckline that plunged so far Honey had to force himself to look away. 

Their attire bordered on indecent and yet they seemed wholly unphased by the cold.

Honey was complaining though. He guessed this monster must have interesting ancestry to have such a unique mix of different traits, something he'd love to know about. But there was one thing he was sure about. His staring and inability to speak weren’t only out of confusion, he was already finding himself intensely attracted to them. Their features were sharp and jagged yet their expression was one of friendly amusement at his predicament. That and they didn’t seem at all ashamed of how they were dressed, if anything it was the exact opposite. Honey couldn’t believe he was meeting yet another monster than made his soul feel like it was skipping beats, even less that such a beautiful being was leaning down towards him. 

“'Here,” They spoke in a voice smoother than silk while offering Honey their hand, “Let me help you up.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> oooooo wHo cOuLd iT BE? XDDDD
> 
> Spoiler tags: Light Honeybbq, Intrusive thoughts, Insomnia, Mild peril.
> 
> Also check out this amazing comic panel by [ Redtomatofan](http://redtomatofan.tumblr.com/post/179697700002/enjoy-the-tiddies-megalotrash-3-comic-page-based) of the end scene!


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Spoilers in the end notes! Incase you missed it there's an amazing comic of the end of the last chapter by[ Redtomatofan!](http://redtomatofan.tumblr.com/post/179697700002/enjoy-the-tiddies-megalotrash-3-comic-page-based)  
> Spoiler tags inc ship in the end notes. M/Suggestive chapter.

“Oh- th-thanks,” Honey spluttered as he took the mystery monster’s hand, shivering when he found their bones felt warm to the touch.

Standing became more difficult than it initially seemed because of the mud. This led to Honey to slipping when he was almost upright, making him grab the other monster’s hand tighter on instinct. They were thankfully more quick thinking than Honey was, wrapping their other arm around Honey’s body and pulling him closer to prevent his fall. Honey rationalised why they did this; there was a high possibility of them both ending up in the mud if he hadn’t acted quickly. But knowing that didn’t stop his mind screaming over them being so close. Honey could feel parts of this monster’s body, both bone and otherwise, pressing against all of his form. 

They were warm all over, and the slender fingers Honey could feel through his shirt were grazing his ribs tantalisingly. If anyone chanced upon this scene, it would be easy to mistake this for being a lovers embrace. And an intimate one at that. Honey could feel cold sweat dripping down his skull just thinking about it. He guessed that he and the other monster would be slightly taller than him if they were both upright, but with Honey’s footing being staggered to fight from falling over he was stuck trying to keep his skull away from their chest. He was incredibly embarrassed by the whole ordeal, blabbering what would’ve been an apology if he could string a sentence together, while the other monster was calm and amused at his plight. Still, Honey knew he had some explaining to do. Or they would undoubtedly form an interesting opinion on the nervous skeleton they found in a ditch. 

“I um-don’t usually spend my time in mud you know. Wait! I mean- it was- I slipped.” 

_Smooth._ If it were possible for Honey’s skull to colour even further, that would have done it. Instead, he was stuck wanting the ground to swallow him whole. He half expected to be pushed back to the ground after an introduction like that, so he was taken aback when the monster holding him started laughing. It wasn’t like he was making fun at Honey’s expense though. It was the kind of laugh that drew you in, so unrestrained and sincere that it was hard not to catch. Honey was put at ease as they held each other and fell apart at the absurdity of it all. The feeling of intimidation he got over being close to someone so stunning was fading, and in its place was a kind of confidence that Honey seldom felt. He was enjoying themselves with him, and it was hard to ignore the way his soul fluttered when their laugh was reverberating in around his bones. 

They moved a little further apart now Honey wasn’t at risk of falling, yet both of them appeared reluctant to let go of each other. It wasn’t necessary, it just felt nice. At this distance, Honey could get a better look at the other monster too. He really was incredible, and what struck Honey the most about him were his eyes. They were the same deep red as his body; so vibrant even in the dark, like the soft embers of a dying fire. Honey could feel his soul hammering hard in his ribcage, like it wanted to be as close as possible to the other monster. Something did eventually shake him out of this trance though. He noticed how sharp the other’s teeth were, his facial structure so reminiscent to Slim’s even without the cracks or replacement teeth. It struck him that he was the third monster he was swooning over in less than two days. _And he hadn’t even asked them their name._

“Sorry- heh, where are my manners-” Honey said with a nervous laugh as he let go of the other monster’s arm, only to extend it back out in what seemed like a redundant handshake. “My name’s Honey, I’ve just moved to town and I um- work at the tavern. The Spinners Arms, do you know it? Well, I’ve had a single shift there- but um-”

Honey resisted the urge to take his hand back and hide his face. He didn’t put his foot entirely in his mouth this time at least, but his lack of composure still made him cringe. He’d been lucky when he’d met both Slim and Muffet. Either he already had a plan to follow, or there were easy conversation topics to fall back on while he got over his initial anxieties. This chance meeting was so unexpected that he didn’t have any time to prepare. There was nothing here, just them being far too familiar with each other in the dark of night. The monster seemed just as amused over Honey’s predicament as he had earlier, but they eventually put him out of his misery and shake his hand 

“That’s a sweet name,” the monster said in an even lower voice, one that made Honey shiver from more than just the cold. “It suits you.” he continued, taking a step towards Honey and dropping his volume down to barely above a whisper, “Mine’s Fell.”

Honey felt his soul skip a beat. The urge to ask how a monster like him ended up with such a peculiar name was strong but Honey managed to grit his teeth. Despite the negative connotations that sprang to mind, there was no denying the name fit him well. Fell didn’t sound like he was originally from around these parts, so the meaning behind his name was likely something different. Honey momentarily considered it was because anyone in their right mind would have a hard time not falling for him before he realised how ludicrous it sounded. He might be having trouble keeping his thoughts straight, but that was a personal problem. Still, It seemed impossible to Honey that anyone would perceive Fell in a negative light. Despite having only just met him, he was so taken by nice how it felt to be around him, or how he could easily get lost in his eyes-

Honey froze. Fell had told him his name, and he’d just stood there. Staring. Holding onto his hand like an idiot while his own fingers twitched with the need to intertwine them with Fell’s. Honey wanted to kick himself over his stupid habit of locking up while he processed situations. It had been acting up far too much in the past few days, but he was starting to feel like he was letting it control his life.

There was a difference between thinking before you act and staring everyone down until you drove them away that Honey desperately needed to learn. 

“S-sorry! I think I hit my skull a little too hard there- heh-” He stammered, hoping that his white lie was convincing enough to not make him seem like even more of a creep, “I’m very pleased to meet your acquaintance, Fell.”

“The pleasure is all mine,” Fell replied, lingering a little longer before slipping his hand out of Honey’s clammy one. “So, what brings you all the way out here so late at night?” he asked with a quickly growing smirk, “This isn’t a well-lit path, is it? were you using it to _sneak around?_ ”

It took Honey a second to figure out what Fell was implying, but when he did he almost screeched in embarrassment. 

“Oh, no! I’d never-” Honey started before realising just how prude that made him sound. He was inexperienced, there was no denying that, but he didn’t want Fell to think he was opposed to certain… _things,_ “Sorry, I mean I could be- and there’s nothing wrong with that! but I wasn’t- not tonight-” He recoiled at his obvious backtracking, taking a deep breath and deciding that the truth would be better than any pitiful attempts at saving face. “I was just having trouble sleeping, new home and everything. I thought a walk would help me clear my skull,” 

Fell’s expression turned empathetic, “I understand. That's something else we have in common,” He smiled and placed a hand on one of Honey’s still shaking arms. “Aren’t you cold in just this?”

“I wasn’t, not until I -y’know. And um-now the mud is freezing to my shirt.”

“Oh, you poor thing. I’d offer you something to keep warm,” Fell grinned, “But I’m afraid I don’t have anything to spare.” 

Fell winked and Honey's knees went weak. He instinctively looked Fell up and down again despite his attempts to stop himself. The cloak he was wearing left little to the imagination when it came to being able to make out Fell’s form. It clung to every curve of his body, the soft red glow managing to show through the fabric when it was stretched tight. Honey didn’t want to offend the other monster by making a comment on his attire, so he kept his mouth shut and averted his eyes as quickly as possible. 

“Are you still in pain, Honey?” Fell continued as soon as Honey looked away, moving closer and using the hand he had on Honey’s arm to turn him around, “Let me check your skull.”

“I’m fine you don’t have to-” Honey’s sentence ended abruptly when he felt Fell’s hands gliding up his vertebrae and settling at the base of his skull. 

It was like the whole world slowed down around them, making each moment blissful agony. Honey hissed through his teeth as probing phalanges gently moved over his oversensitive bones. He was lucky that it sounded like he was in pain, he didn’t know how to begin to explain what such a simple touch was doing to him. It felt like he was dreaming, especially since Fell’s hands were giving him the same sensations as those he’d woken up with that morning. Honey was appalled at his lack of self-control considering Fell was only trying to see if he was hurt. But no matter how inappropriate this all felt, he couldn’t will himself to ask the other monster to stop. 

“Hmm, it’s nothing serious. You have a mark, but it will fade within a week or so,“ Fell mused when he’d finished checking Honey over, moving back into view with a thoughtful look on his face. “You know… I think I have something that would help back at home. But it’s quite a walk, you’re welcome to stop by tomorrow after sleeping the worst off.” 

_Oh no._ As soon as Honey heard Fell say that he knew the words that were going to fall out of his mouth before he had a chance to stop himself. 

“I could walk you home if you like? It’s the least I can do. It's late, and I wouldn’t want something bad to happen to you.”

Fell looked surprised by that, his lidded sockets going wide for the briefest of moments “I’m quite safe on my own but-” he paused, covering his mouth with one of his hands while the faintest blush peppered his angular cheekbones, “I can’t say no to good company.” 

With that Fell turned and started walking, leaving a very flustered Honey little time to reconsider his offer. He could either shout after the other monster and make up some weak excuse, or give into what his soul desired. 

The decision was obvious. 

Whether it was the right one or not Honey no longer cared.

He’d offered to walk Fell home partially out of being polite, sure. He couldn’t deny his own selfish desires though. Honey craved Fell’s company and wanted to know all about them. Despite the late hour he just couldn’t talk himself out of following Fell down the path, speeding up his walk until he was by the other monster’s side. Thankfully Fell was leading Honey in the opposite direction to the way he’d been heading. He wasn’t sure if he could extend his spontaneous chivalry to defending Fell from the wolf. He thought about mentioning it to him, but he didn’t want to come across as a coward. There was no doubt in his mind that while Fell was humoring him, he was probably pitying him too. Honey needed to do everything he could to repair his reputation and not come across as pathetic as he felt.

Fell seemed happy to be in a comfortable silence for now which Honey appreciated. It gave him a chance to gather his thoughts, and he didn’t feel awkward since both their original plans were solitary in nature. It was just a happy coincidence that they could enjoy that together. And there was something else. Now that Fell wasn’t looking directly at him, it gave Honey a chance to steal a few glances. 

He was being perverse, there was no denying that, but it was curiosity too. Honey just couldn’t get his head around how Fell’s body actually worked. He’d never heard of a skeleton who looked like this before, but since they were becoming a rare race and often settled down with both humans and monsters, it made sense that their offspring would be a mix of both parents. Interesting, but not unusual. That felt like an understatement when it came to Fell though, Honey couldn’t tear his eyes away even after coming to that conclusion. With Fell’s cloak being long sleeved it was hard to see where this body ended and his bones started elsewhere, so he went back to the deep v on his chest. The longer Honey looked, the more he caught glimpses of bone through the scarlet flesh. It looked fluid, like the different shades of red were constantly shifting and never quite settling in one place. Despite it being inappropriate Honey found himself following the curve of the mounds on Fell’s chest, enjoying the way that his semi-concealed breasts were-

“Can I ask what you find so alarming about me?” Fell asked while stopping abruptly, startling Honey enough to make him jump, “Since you can’t stop staring.”

“Oh, no I’m just-”Honey tried to come up with a quick excuse while a mixture of mud and sweat dripped down his spine, “I’ve never seen a monster that looks like you before.” 

Fell considered this for a moment before the smug smile was back on his face, “We’re both skeletons, are we not?”

“Are you?” Honey asked before realising just how rude he was being, “but- you’re not all- I mean, your body is- um-” _No! That’s even worse!_ “You’re not exactly all bone, right?”

“Oh my, I didn’t expect one as sweet as you to be so bold.” Fell teased while leaning towards him, making the parts of his body that Honey couldn’t tear his eyes away from even more prominent before speaking again, “ _La curiosité est un vilain défaut_ you know, there are certain things you shouldn’t ask someone you’ve just met.”

Honey was speechless. Fell left the thick tension hanging in the air for a few moments longer before starting to walk again, not even bothering to check if Honey was following him. Honey felt like he was being led by an imaginary leash when his legs started moving on their own accord. His suspicions over Fell being from elsewhere were all but confirmed at this point and while he wasn’t exactly sure what had been said he knew it had been at his expense. He didn’t mind one bit, with every moment he spent with Fell the more the need to know more about him grew. Honey was sure his mother knew basic french and was kicking himself now for never asking her to teach him. Not that it would actually help though, he doubted that a few repeated phrases from a language that he lacked any real knowledge of would have the wooing effect he was after. No, he needed to own up to his mistakes and apologise before the impression he was giving off got even worse. 

“Sorry, I really didn’t intend to offend you,” Honey said softly once he’d caught up with the other skeleton. 

“Offended? Oh no, you’re going to have to try harder than that, Honey” Fell giggled behind one of his hands when Honey socket’s went wide“You know, you needn't be so frightened around me. I don’t bite.” 

_That’s a pity,_ Honey thought, before internally recoiling. What on earth had gotten into him?! This spiral into sinful thoughts was getting to be too much for him to handle. It was like a hidden part of his mind had been unveiled since he’d come to town and it was now running rampant and leaving Honey feeling out of control. 

“I’m teasing, Honey. There’s no need to look so frightened!” Fell added. 

_If only he knew_. Honey didn’t trust himself to speak just yet, so he just nodded in agreement and averted his eyes. He hoped that Fell wouldn’t try and push him further. But at this point, he wouldn’t have been surprised if the other skeleton wanted nothing to do with him. The feeling warm fingers under his mandible, tilting his face up gently, was so unexpected he almost fell apart. 

“My house is just a little further,” Fell said as he soothed his hand on Honey’s cheekbone, “I’ll make you something that’ll take the edge off if you’d like?”

“Yeah, I’d really like that,” Honey sighed in relief, not quite knowing what he’d done to be treated with such kindness. But then he paused. The path they had been on had disappeared behind them, leaving nothing but a row of shrubs before the looming treeline, “Oh, we can’t go this way though. It’s through the woods, and you know what they say around here. I’m sure we can find another way.”

“What are you implying.” Fell’s face went blank, his arms crossing in front of his chest while he waited for Honey’s answer.

Seeing his chance at redemption Honey gathered himself, preparing to enlighten Fell on the dangers and present himself as a fearless hero. It was perfect! 

“Have you not heard? There are evil things in the woods. Terrifying beasts and magical that are drawn here because of the witches. Can you believe that anyone would do that?” Honey saw Fell’s look of disgust and just knew he was getting through to him, which served as the boost of confidence he needed. “It sounds crazy, but no self-respecting person goes into the woods around here, it’s just not safe!” He sensed that he had crossed a line and scared Fell too much now, so he took one of his hands in his in an act of reassurance, “Definitely not at night either, that’s when everyone thinks they see those horrible things. I’m sure we can find a better way, let me-”

Fell snatched his hand back. His eyes were no longer the inviting embers but a raging inferno as he pointed at Honey’s face. 

_“Dégage, connard”_ He spat, all traces of warmth gone from his voice, “I’ll find my own way from here.” 

Honey was confused. This wasn’t how he’d imagined things going, but now he needed to act quickly before Fell disappeared out of his sight. “Wait! I didn’t, I didn’t mean-” 

“-Don’t!” Fell yelled, turning around and storming off into the cover of darkness.

Leaving Honey alone, not quite knowing what had just happened. 

“...damnit” he murmured, knowing full well the night wouldn’t be answering back. 

Honey wasn't sure exactly what fell had said, but he was sure he was being insulted that time. _But this didn’t make any sense!_ How had he gone from enjoying Fell’s lingering touches and teasing to being yelled at? He couldn’t even recall exactly what he’d said since he’d been so caught up in the moment, so eager to impress Fell that he’d ended up doing the exact opposite. Now he had to find his own way back in a town he wasn’t familiar with. The stiff clothing and cold feeling in his bones were only going to make it even more of an unpleasant journey. But all of that seemed like nothing compared to the feeling of shame Honey had over screwing up so badly. He’d offended Fell greatly and he just _knew_ this wasn’t something he’d be able to recover from.

Some calming walk that turned out to be.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tags: SPICYHONEY (god it feels good to type that), mild voyeurism, teasing, flirting Honey being an idiot.  
> French(thanks again Ricy!):La curiosité est un vilain défaut-curiosity is a naughty flaw.  
> Dégage, connard- Similar to Piss off asshole.


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An extra warning- this chapter does deal with the build up of a panic/anxiety attack, Other spoiler tags including more detail about the attack in the end notes.

Honey awoke the next day to the sound of soft knocking on his bedroom door. It was early, Honey managed to only get a few hours sleep after his night-time excursion at least. With how difficult it was to will himself to open his sockets he was convinced he would’ve been better off staying awake. He was only wearing a shirt after himself of the mud-caked clothing last night, and it currently felt like it was judging him from a nearby chair when he sat up in bed. The sweat soaked shirt wasn’t much better, but at least his sheets would be easier to clean without much mud. The only saving grace of the whole situation was that he’d been too exhausted to be bothered by any nightmares. Honey had fallen asleep as soon as his skull hit the pillow when he got home. Either he hadn’t had the time to dream, or he was too tired to remember anything.

It was a shred of comfort that he clung to while opening his door before his soul dropped at the sight that greeted him.

Slim was there, he had expected as much, but the pile of clean clothes being thrust into his hands was a shock to the system.

Slim _knew._

“How? How did you-”

“-Not here.” Slim interrupted, “There’s a bowl in the bathroom, try to keep quiet. We can talk when you come downstairs.” He explained in a hushed tone, looking around to check they were alone and then placing a reassuring hand on Honey’s shaking arm, “There’s no need to panic. But Don't take too long."

Slim winked for good measure and then headed back downstairs as quietly as he could. Honey felt like he was falling apart. He was too sleep deprived to process the curveball he’d been thrown, or to try and figure out just how much information the other skeleton was privy to. _How could he even began to explain what had happened last night?!_ He felt on edge, exhaustion stripping him of all the usual techniques he had to keep his anxieties at bay. Honey needed a distraction, and fast, and Slim had unwittingly given him a perfect one. He gripped the fresh clothing tighter in his hands and headed off towards the bathroom with a steadier stride than he thought he was capable of. 

Until he realised that made too much noise. So Honey switched to what he hoped was the world’s most confident tip-toeing. 

Bathing had always given Honey time to shut out the world, tune out his worries, and focus on his body instead. He was known for taking far too long getting ready in the past due to his mind wandering while he cleaned himself. He couldn’t afford such luxuries today. His clothing had soaked up most of the mud, but he still found hints of dried brown sludge streaking his ivory bones when he undressed. The wash bowl was already filled with steaming hot water, something else he needed to remember to thank Slim for. It was soothing, and the mud was relatively easy to remove right up until the last part. The worst caked on muck that just happened to be on his sacrum, something which he’d been avoiding until now for fear of touching that already sensitive area. 

With a breath that was far less calming than he needed it to be Honey slowly lowered the sponge down his back. The first brush wasn’t as intense as he had been anticipating, which gave him a false sense of hope. As soon as he started to move the sponge around it sent jolts of pleasure through his bones and made him hiss through his teeth. He caught sight of himself in the mirror before immediately averting his eyes in shame. He looked like he was enjoying what should have been a mundane task far too much and he hated it. Honey had hit rock bottom. He’d messed up big time with Fell last night after it had been going so well, he’d probably lost Slim’s trust, and now he couldn’t even wash himself down without being filled with sinful thoughts. He clenched his teeth shut and dragged the sponge roughly over his bones while ignoring the desire he had to take his time. 

The clothing Slim had given him wasn’t as comically unfitting as he expected. The shirt and pants weren't the colours he usually wore and were faded from regular use, but they were almost a perfect fit. They smelt like fresh linen and something Honey couldn’t place at first. When he realised that it was a mix of scents he’d began to associate with Slim he had to stop himself from burying his face in the shirt. He wondered why the other skeleton just happened to have clothing in his possession that wasn’t their size. It was a trivial concern in comparison to his other worries, but Honey let himself mull it over as he did up buttons and straightened himself out. Anything to take his mind of what was to come was a good thing at this point. 

Honey briefly went back to his room to gather up the rest of his clothes, including the muddy ones from last night and bundled them in all in his bed sheet. Slim already knew he needed a change of clothes, so he might as well bite the bullet on and ask about washing them while he was coming clean about what happened. The whole situation felt like the moment before you ripped a bandage off a wound that was clotted with marrow. It made the back of his skull twinge with phantom pain as he remembered bumping it last night, which quickly turned into a searing heat when he remembered Fell’s fingers ghosting over the bone. He took a moment to push those thoughts from his mind. Slim had already caught his eyes wandering, he didn’t need to know Honey was fawning over someone else too. 

To say Honey was a shaking mess when he reached the bottom of the stairs would have been an understatement. Slim was already sat down at a booth with breakfast laid out on the table. There was no reason for Honey to delay taking his seat but his bones felt like lead when he tried to move his limbs. Slim only peered over his book when Honey sat down and even then he didn’t start talking right away. Honey didn’t know what to do. Was he meant to just start talking, or would it be better to wait for Slim? He suppressed the instincts that were telling him to get up and run by attempting to butter some bread. He couldn’t hide that he’d forgotten to hold a knife when Slim placed his book down on the table though. 

“So, ”Slim started, making Honey’s soul hammer twice as hard as before, “Do you want to tell me about why you were out most of the night.”

Honey’s entire body locked up. “I-I um- It’s not exactly like-I didn’t want to-I um-” He babbled as his higher functions began shutting down one by one.

“Hey, calm down, it’s ok,” Slim took his hands firmly, drawing Honey’s attention while “ Look, I know you snuck out of your room, and then came back hours later covered in who knows what-” he snickered, the sweet sound cutting through the thick tension like nothing else,“-So you really don’t need to sugar-coat it. I know there’s more to the story, I just wanna hear it from you.” 

Honey took in a sharp breath, his soul calming a little at Slim’s words despite his still quaking bones, “You-you're sure?” 

“Positive. Just take a deep breath, take your time-” Slim smirked and nodded his head to the two mugs to the side of them,“-and don’t forget your tea.”

Honey laughed at that, knowing Slim had read him like an open book. He let his sockets slip shut for a moment while regulating his breathing. He reminded himself that whatever was about to happen wasn’t going to be half as bad as what his mind had built it up to be. 

Slim let go of his hands, allowing Honey to move them around his mug to give him something to focus on while he started his story. He went over how he’d been unable to sleep, about how he thought a walk would be enough to clear his skull instead of tossing and turning all night. Honey even mentioned the nightmares he’d been having, making sure to skim over some of the details. Slim didn’t press him for more information, he let Honey explain at his own pace while engaging with non-verbal responses. He seemed sympathetic to Honey’s struggle, which was what made the next part even harder to talk about. 

Explaining the trail he’d been walking on was easy enough for Honey even if he couldn’t get a read on Slim’s approval, but found himself stalling when it came to why he fell over. He mentioned being startled by an animal but added a white lie about not getting a good look at it before he lost his footing. He didn’t think saying it was a wolf when he wasn’t sure was a good idea, and he wanted to avoid describing it’s unusual behaviour too. Honey thought about ending his story there since he’d explained the mud but his mouth had other ideas.

“-So I turned around, thankfully another monster had seen me and was coming over to help-” he said, realising too late that he couldn’t just leave it at that, “They, um, they were a skeleton actually.”

A different type of smile rapidly working its way across Slim’s features. “Ah, you met Fell then?” Slim leaned back in his seat and crossed his hands behind his head while Honey’s skull burned in embarrassment. “Heh, no wonder you were out so late.”

“It’s not like that!” Honey said a little too loudly before cringing at falling for Slim’s bait, “They helped me up, and-and then I offered to walk them home. It was the least I could do.”

Slim perked up at that, moving back towards Honey and whispering as loud as he could “You went into the woods?!” 

“What?” Honey tilted his head in confusion before the penny dropped and the fog over his missteps last night started to clear, “That’s where Fell lives?!” Slim nodded rapidly, making Honey’s soul drop with every bob of his head. “Oh no.”

“What did you do?” Slim asked

“I didn’t mean- we-we were walking and talking and getting on fine but then-” Honey swallowed on nothing to try and combat the feeling of dryness in his mouth before continuing, “We got to the edge of the woods, and I thought he was just taking a short-cut to get home. So I told them what you told me about-” He paused, dropping his voice lower despite them being completely alone in the empty tavern, “-about the witches living in the woods, and how no respectable person goes there. Fell left after that- I’ve- I’ve really messed up, haven’t I?”

Slim sighed heavily, “I’m not gonna lie, It’s probably the worst thing you could’ve said.” Slim took a moment to take a sip of his tea, avoiding eye contact with Honey all the while, “See, Fell’s dealt with a lot of prejudice over the years. He keeps to himself usually, and you’ve kinda proven why that’s a good thing.” 

Honey buried his head in his hands. He couldn’t believe he’d been so stupid, he’d insulted Fell without realising all with a smile on his face. But then something struck him. If this was true, then wouldn’t it mean-

“But- but won’t everyone think he’s a witch?” Honey asked.

“They already do. It doesn’t help that Fell is a healer either, not that what he does is different to any other doctor if you ask me. Just because he knows what herbs will ease pain and what plants can be crushed to heal wounds doesn’t mean he’s casting curses or summoning creatures from the underworld. It’s ridiculous! The same folks that come to Fell for help in secret are the ones who talk about driving out of town when anyone brings it up.” Slim paused, his hand tightened around the mug in his hands as his voice became ragged and uneven, “And some _fucking morons_ want to set fire to his house and burn him alive.”

The language was jarring, but the implications were so horrifying that Honey couldn’t contain his outrage, “That’s awful!” he echoed, “Who would ever do that to an innocent monster? Much less without any proof?”

“What did you expect? Suspect witches have fallen to worse fates elsewhere, Fell’s lucky that no one outside of _that_ group takes what they say seriously.” 

Honey grit his teeth. He didn’t need Slim to confirm who he was referring to. The group of humans that had shot daggers at him on his first night were never far from his mind, and that feeling of unease he felt from them grew every time he heard something else about them. A heavy silence now laid in between him and Slim, one Honey was unsure would settle if he didn’t trust his soul and find out where Slim’s thoughts were. 

“But _you_ don’t think Fell is one, right?” Honey asked as tentatively as he could. 

“No,” Slim answered bluntly before deciding to elaborate, “Despite his sharpness, Fell is harmless. I mean, unless you piss him off. I’d sleep with one eye open if I were you.”

“Oh- Oh no, you don’t- I- I really didn’t mean-”

“I’m kidding, Honey! Lighten up a little!” Slim teased playfully, easing the tension in the room in an instant. 

Honey made a noise that was somewhere between a laugh and exacerbated sigh. He tucked into his lukewarm porridge, pretty sure that the conversation was over. Until he noticed Slim was still looking right at him with the same mischievous smirk that he’d had on his face earlier. 

“What?” Honey asked. 

“Nothing,” Slim got up, mumbling the rest of his sentence under his breath, “It’s a good thing you’re cute.”

“What?!” Honey squeaked, only making Slim laugh more. 

“Cmon, we’re already behind. I really don’t want Muffet on my ass for setting a bad example.”

Honey finished his breakfast as quickly as he could and got to work despite his blush lingering for most of the morning. He knew that Slim was playing with him, but with everything else that was going on it was hard to not read more into it. Instead of going to town for lunch Slim showed him a part of the barn they used for laundry and was kind enough to help him sluice out the worst of it. Honey had a moment of panic when Muffet came to see what they were doing, but Slim was quick to jump in and come up with an excuse about Honey messing up his clothes in the barn instead. Slim quickly changed the subject too, teasing Muffet over her familiarity with the elemental last night. Any further questions she had were quickly forgotten when Slim pointed out how flustered she was around them. 

The evening went smoothly too. Despite it only being Honey's second day he was already picking up the pattern of the ebb and flow of customers. With the pressure off it gave him a chance to pay more attention to the monsters and humans around him. He picked up on some of the regular’s names, including the elemental who’d caught Muffet’s eye. According to Slim this fire elemental, Grillby, came to the tavern almost every night. He worked Hydeford’s solitary night shift that involved keeping all the lanterns lit, so evening company was perfect for him. It was apparent he was utterly smitten by Muffet, even going as far as to ask Honey if she’d mentioned him by name. Honey said he was sure she had. It was definitely worth the effort when Grillby’s flames flickered rapidly behind his thick-rimmed glasses. 

It might have been another stretch of the truth, but Honey had good intentions. If he could give Grillby a little hope on what was blatantly an uphill battle, then it was worth it. Plus, who was he to judge anyone’s romantic life when his own was such a mess?

Since they’d had a brief lunch, Slim insisted on cooking a more hearty meal for supper while they cleaned up in the kitchens. Honey was happy to finish off the dishes while Slim ate, chatting away about the characters they’d seen in the day until it was time to switch. Slim was much faster at putting things back in their place and checking everything was in order, so Honey opted for keeping out his way and took his supper out to the barn. It was a much milder evening than the night before, and he was far too tired to even think about going on a walk. He sat himself down by the back entrance so he could enjoy the fresh air while still having the warmth of the barn for shelter. 

A few moments passed with nothing more than the sounds of the night and the muted noises coming from the tavern. It was so quiet, so it was no wonder that the slight rustling from nearby bushes made him jump. His first fear was that the wolf he’d seen last night had followed him here despite him seeing it on the opposite side of town. So he did a double take when a small Hare jumped out of the bush and hopped towards him. The hare was pure white, unlike any Honey had ever seen before, and it was much bolder than the ones that had lived close to his old home. What was most striking though was their eyes. The large blue orbs were remarkable, reflecting the moonlight in such a way that made it seem like they were sparkling in excitement.

Thinking on his feet, Honey picked up a few greens from his plate and held them out to the approaching animal. He expected to have to put some effort into coaxing it over, but the hare didn’t show a hint of hesitation and hopped over happily. Honey had to wonder if it was someone’s escaped pet or something with how friendly it seemed, either that or it was too young to know any better. It sniffed the food Honey was offering and deemed it safe, pulling a stem of broccoli clean out of his hand. 

Honey had almost plucked up the courage to extend his other hand to pet the hare’s snowy fur when the creaking of a barn door startled it, making it run off without a moment’s hesitation. Honey let out a long sigh and went back to finishing his meal. When he was done, he stood and left some vegetables near the bush, just in case the Hare was still nearby. Honey knew it was a long shot, but he wasn’t sure he could handle the disappointment of scaring something away for a second time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Spoiler tags: Anxiety attack build up internally with Honey and Slim does manage to help him calm down before it gets too bad, referenced violence towards witches.  
> Some honeybbq with teasing/flirting and referenced Spicy honey, Solo suggestive scene.


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is the first full ‘E’ rated chapter, check the end notes for spoilers. Sorry it’s a little late but health stuff is a bitch, one that I kicked in the ass with finishing this :P

As soon as his skull touched the pillow, Honey’s insomnia decided to rear its ugly head. 

_...Again._

It was utterly stupid. Logic dictated that after two nights of not sleeping, even longer if he took the rough journey here into account, Honey shouldn’t be able to keep his sockets open. But alas, here he was tossing and turning while gradually getting more and more frustrated. It felt like he’d been here for hours, despite the noise from the tavern telling him it was still within opening hours. It was just so hard to say when he felt this exhausted. _Why couldn’t he just go to sleep?!_ Honey groaned and buried his face in his hands, knowing full well that being alone with his thoughts was only going to make things worse. He knew he needed a distraction again, but after last night he was rapidly running out of options. 

_Just...think it through._

Going outside was out of the question. Even if Honey tried to stay close to the tavern, he didn’t want to risk Slim catching him out after their reconciliation. Disappointment was not an emotion Honey wished to see on his friend's face anytime soon. He knew that trying to read Gaster’s books was an option, one that would definitely keep him out of trouble too. _But would that help him sleep?_ Honey was tired but restless, and he didn’t think that reading a book and waiting until the sun came up was going to actually help his situation. Not in the anxious state he was in. He could just picture himself trying to process the scribbled words on the page while his mind constantly reminded him of all the sleep he wasn’t getting. Just thinking about it made it hard for him to stay horizontal, forcing Honey to sit up and plant his feet on the floor to the side of the bed. Anything to ground himself and keep the mounting panic at bay. 

_Anything would better than this_.

So a book was out, at least until Honey found a way to calm himself down. The only other option that came to mind was going back down to the tavern bar to see if he could get a head start with cleaning up. He had almost convinced himself that it was a viable choice, and was ready to get out of bed and pull his shoes back on when a loud laugh from downstairs made him freeze. He couldn’t go back downstairs. Not when it was still open; when every drunk would try to talk to him or playfully tease him over not sleeping. Honey wanted to tell himself that it wouldn't be malicious, but he wasn’t very good at navigating social situations on a good day. Why on earth did he think going into a bar full of drunken and over-friendly monsters would be a good idea on top of that? He was sleep deprived, jumpy, and would probably crumble the moment someone laid a finger on him. It was social suicide. 

_Just THINK!_

Honey jerked his head back to face the ceiling, willing the tears that were forming in his sockets to disappear. He refused to cry over something so trivial, no matter how frustrated he was feeling. But he couldn’t stop the sobs that were shaking his exhausted form despite doing everything he could to stop the tears. He felt so out of control, so hopeless. He was out of options, he couldn’t think of anything to do, he was going to be stuck in the endless cycle of- 

“Oh- oh no,” Honey whispered to the empty room as his soul dropped in his chest.

His mind had come up with a solution all right. One that brought him just thinking about. 

_What if he tried touching himself?_

Honey shuddered. He’d been wrestling with keeping those thoughts down since he came to Hydeford, but now he had a reason to actually consider them. All the tossing and turning in bed hadn’t helped the matter either. His body felt alight with bottled up energy, energy that he needed to get rid of if he even wanted to think about sleeping. He may have been inexperienced. But he knew that sexual things, no matter how sinful, was proven to aid with sleep. Even his conservative parents had mentioned the benefits of sharing the marital when they were talking about marrying Honey off. So by process of deduction Honey knew that self-pleasure had to have similar effects.

_If he could separate it from the overwhelming guilt he felt that is._

That was something he couldn’t just ignore. But if he did this, would he ever be the same again? Honey’s brow furrowed as he fought his inner voice. Instead immediately chastising himself like he’d been told to do, he wanted to actually think things through for once. It wasn’t like Honey planned to make a habit of doing this, he had exhausted all other options, and was only considering doing this so that he could get some sleep.

On the other hand, it felt like he was buckling under pressure; giving into to the urges he’d spent so long trying to suppress. But doing this didn’t necessarily have to be at complete odds with his morals. Hypothetically, exploring things by himself would satisfy that part of his psyche, and stop him from turning into a bumbling idiot when his mind short-circuited around the other skeletons. That...couldn’t be a bad thing, could it?

_Was he really going to do this?_

Honey got up on shaky legs and shuffled towards his bedroom door, placing his skull against the solid wooden door. There was no reason for anyone to be upstairs at this time of night but he just had to make sure. When he was met with nothing more than the buzz from downstairs, he turned to go back to his bed. Before he'd even taken a step forward though, he paused. What would he do if someone burst in and found him in a state of undress or _worse_. If he was committed to trying this, then he needed to take every precaution he could. With no lock on his door, he settled for carefully moving the bedroom chair so that it was titled under the door handle. It would buy him extra time to get dressed if he got caught, and he could say he was changing as an excuse. It was unlikely, and a strange explanation, but anything was better than being caught in the act.

Honey didn't trust himself to be able to make up excuses when the mere thought of what he was about to do was making sweat drip down his skull. 

On the way back to the bed Honey also grabbed the towel he’d used that morning. He knew all too well that Humans and fleshier monsters made a mess when they were intimate. Despite his sheltered upbringing he’d heard enough judgement from his parents about certain folks in their home town needing to wash their dirty bed sheets more than what was deemed appropriate. He wasn’t sure how a being such as himself would produce such a mess, but again, he wasn’t in the mood to take any chances. He laid the towel where he planned to lie down and climbed back into bed, wholly unprepared for the wave of nerves that hit him hard enough to make him feel nauseous. 

Honey reminded himself that he could stop at any time. That if anything went too far or felt weird he didn't have to continue. He took a deep breath to calm his rattling bones and let his sockets slip shut. 

_Ok._

He was going to do this. 

He shouldn’t, it was wro- _No._ He’d already been over why he was doing it. 

He just needed to try it. 

Only because he needed to get some sleep. 

_Oh jeez._

Honey placed a shaking hand on his ribcage. He wasn’t sure what he expected to achieve, but his bones were tingling all over his body, and this felt like a safe place to start. Even through his shirt, he could feel his soul pounding hard with a mix of fear and anticipation. The fear he understood, he was still considering backing out after all, but the strange buzz of something more he felt underneath that was definitely new. Well, not entirely new. He’d felt something similar when he’d woken up from his nightmare with the trees. He decided it was the feeling he needed to focus on if he wanted this to work. Honey trailed his fingers down his ribcage with a few steady, brushing the bone as lightly as he could until he reached the end of his shirt. 

Not wanting to do too much too soon and let his hands wander further south, Honey started f fiddling with the buttons on his shirt instead. He moved slowly back up his ribcage while popping each button open, clinging to the familiarity of what was usually a mundane task. But it didn’t feel like one, not anymore. Each sliver of bone Honey exposed to the cold night air made him shudder, and the feeling of his shirt falling open when it was fully undone made him hiss through his teeth. His bones were so sensitive and receptive to the slightest stimulation, and he’d hardly even begun. Honey couldn’t deny that he felt a little giddy. If this already felt surprisingly nice, then what was it going to feel like when he tried things he’d stopped himself from doing in the past. 

_There was only one way to find out._

Honey placed both hands on his ribcage and began gingerly moving his fingers across his bones. He was trying to find out what gave him the best sensations and what quickened the pace of his soul. He quickly found out that while putting a finger between two of his ribs was too much like touching a live wire, gently stroking just outside made his eyes roll in his sockets. He stumbled upon how sensitive his floating ribs were too when he moved one hand lower. Giving one of them an experimental tug made him arch off the bed and have to grit his teeth to keep from making a sound. He could feel his spine throbbing with energy, tempting him to touch there too even if he wasn’t ready to go that far just yet. It didn’t stop him imagining what it would feel like though, the thought alone making him grip his ribs a little tighter. Even with a light touch, the sound of bone scraping against bone made a heavy blush settle on his skull. It was easy to imagine it was the sound of his bones being dragged against someone else's or vice versa. 

Just like before, flashes of hands attached to other skeletons filled his mind before he promptly shut them down. This was meant to only be about him finding release, so he could get some sleep, that just happened to have a bonus effect of suppressing his impure thoughts when he was in public. Thinking about who he’d rather be doing this with was inappropriate when he didn’t have their express permission. It didn’t matter that no one would ever find out, that everyone had fantasies from time to time, or that pausing to chastise himself was draining all the progress he’d made. This was just what Honey had to tell himself if he wanted to get through this with some of his dignity intact. That was just the way it _had_ to be. 

_Right?_

So… maybe some fantasising would be ok. But only if Honey was focused on what he was doing, and it slipped in. The purpose of doing this was so he could get some sleep as quickly as possible, and stopping for another moral dilemma every few minutes was counter-productive. Honey took in a deep breath and pushed forward, moving the hands he still had wrapped around his ribs further downwards. His loss of confidence made his touches hesitant again, making him wonder if the mood was lost entirely. But when he trailed a finger softly down his lumbar spine, it was like he'd never stopped. He had to shoot his spare hand up to cover his mouth as he increased the pressure, afraid he was going to out from how intensely good it felt. His skull was on fire as he wrapped his slender digits around his spinal column. 

“Ah-mmf!” Honey moaned while muffling as much as he could with his hand. 

It was like a switch had been flipped inside Honey. He was still nervous, but the hesitation he’d had before was rapidly being replaced with a burning desire for more. He moved the hand he had around his spine slowly up and down, shuddering as the bones of his phalanges brushed against his disks. It felt incredible, so new and exciting that was making it hard to remember to his previous reservations. He eventually let go of his spine in favour of trying to rid himself of the rest of his clothing. He raised his hips off the bed to push down his pants, the angle making the fabric catch on his tailbone. Honey whimpered and shoved his face into the pillow while he tried to process how much that had affected him. The sensation was unlike anything he’d felt before; like what he’d been doing beforehand had turned his pelvis into naked flame. 

It was raw. It was addicting. Honey _needed_ more. 

Honey buried the side of his face into his pillow and attacked his lower half with shaking hands. He caressed, pulled, and dipped his fingers into everything he could reach, desperate to find the sensations he craved. It was hard to tell though when his body was tingling all over and every new place explored was adding more fuel to the ever-growing fire inside him. In the back of Honey's mind, he knew he had already gone too far. That he was enjoying this far more than he had initially intended. But that didn’t make him want to stop. It was forbidden, extremely sinful, but that was making everything more thrilling. He let his fingers go where they please, dipping lower and dragging against his ischium until he moved two phalanges up his pubic symphysis.

“Oh- _fuck_ ” Honey whined into the pillow, crossing yet another sin off his list.

Everything up to now had felt nice, but _this_ felt right. There was no doubt in Honey’s mind that this was the place he needed to keep touching if he wanted to reach his peak. But that didn’t mean he couldn’t touch elsewhere too. He moved one hand back up towards his spine, the dual assault of stroking and pulling forcing his sockets to screw shut. He writhed against his hands, grunting when he’d brush against other places on his body unexpectedly. 

_Almost like he wasn’t the one touching himself._

As soon as the idea came into Honey’s head his hand became someone else’s. And he didn’t stop it this time. They were leaning over him, they were moving their hands where he was begging to be touched, they were enjoying watching him come apart. Behind his sockets the mystery skeleton’s face was shifting through familiar features, all which made his fingers move with more purpose, until they settled on one face in particular. _Papyrus._ Despite not meeting him yet Honey had been told that Papyrus was a particularly understanding monster, so it was no surprised his scrambled mind went to him first. Papyrus wouldn’t judge him for doing this, of that Honey was utterly convinced. Honey quickly built a fantasy about being held close to Papyrus’s chest while the other skeleton encouraged him to continue exploring. He’d let Honey go at his own pace despite his hesitations, eventually replacing Honey’s shaky hand with his own so he could learn what to do by example. 

Honey paused. The Papyrus in his mind wanted to whisper words of reassurance, but without ever hearing the other’s voice Honey found it hard to continue. He was frustrated that he couldn’t just fill in the blanks, and the feeling of doubt was creeping in over how morally sound it was to be fantasizing about someone he didn’t know. Honey shook his head, determined not to let guilt take hold when he’d gotten this far. He started moving the fingers on his pubic symphysis again as the skeleton in his mind morphed into someone else. Their face was unclear and featureless while it morphed, reminding Honey of seeing someone cloaked in shadow, until he saw flashes of gold teeth pulling up into a fiendish grin. 

_Slim._

Honey shoved his face further into his pillow and arched off the bed as everything became more intense. The Slim in his mind wasn’t as gentle as Papyrus, and his hands moved harder and quicker in response. Slim’s sockets were lidded, desire evident in the way he looked Honey up and down like he couldn’t get enough of him. Like he was Hungry. He pinned Honey’s smaller body to the wall with his own and pressed them together hard. Though he’d never seen it, something told Honey that Slim’s tongue would be the same deep amber as his eyes. It was something taboo amongst skeletons, with most of their kind only feeling the pseudo organ in their mouths when tasting their favourite foods. He knew they _could_ be used for other things, but it was never talked about in polite company. In his mind though, Honey watched Slim’s long tongue unfurl and lick a stripe across his teeth before he pulled Honey’s skull back and attached his mouth to the exposed vertebrae. 

It might’ve only been a phantom sensation, but Honey’s body almost jerked clear off the bed while he imagined Slim licking at his neck. With his sockets screwed shut it was like he could feel Slim pressed against him, rocking their bodies together as his hot breath tickled Honey’s bones. He could imagine the noises Slim would make and the sinful things he’d whisper under his breath. It was doing things to Honey’s body, things he didn’t have the mental capacity to process. He’d pushed past the tingling sensations to something new, and now the rougher touches were making his bones feel slick. Almost like he was touching something wet. There was a distant thought about stopping to check he hadn’t unintentionally hurt himself, but it was pushed aside when the Slim in his fantasy pulled back from his neck only to immediately pull him into a bruising kiss.

It might have only been his imagination, but Honey’s mind reacted like his first kiss was actually happening. 

Honey keened against the pillow in his mouth as the fantasy Slim took charge of the kiss, all while grinding into him harder than before. Honey bucked into his hand as Slim’s tongue pushed past his teeth and into his mouth. Until it brushed against Honey’s own. If Honey didn’t know any better, he would have sworn he felt something in his mouth, but he was too far gone to give it much thought. Not when it was only adding to the building feeling spreading across his whole body. Slim kissed him deeply, so much that Honey would have forgotten to breathe if it was real. When Slim eventually pulled back, Honey felt anticipation rising over imagining just how debauched the other skeleton was going to look. His soul flipped in his chest when he found an entirely different face staring back at him. 

_Fell?!_

Fell’s features were alive with wicked intent, the fire that Honey had glimpsed in his eyes now a raging inferno as he regarded Honey with amusement. The scrutiny made Honey’s soul hammer audibly against his ribcage. He half expected the Fell in his fantasy to reject him just like his real-world counterpart, but he didn’t. It was the opposite, more akin to how Fell acted towards him when they first met. Fell _wanted_ him. Honey couldn’t stop his hands at this point, even if he wanted too, so it didn’t take long for him to associate the building pleasure with this new fantasy. In his mind Fell was poised above him, grinding his soft body against Honey’s bones in a way he knew would drive them both crazy. Just when he thought it couldn’t get better, the Fell in his mind moved down towards him for another kiss, dragging his scarlet tongue over Honey’s teeth. It was enough to send jolts of pleasure from Honey’s skull right down to his dripping pelvis.

Honey could feel the sensations inside his body building up like he was on the edge of something big. He pushed forward, thrusting his hips against his hand in tandem with the frantic rubbing of his fingers. His mind no was no longer showing him clear images, but flashes of everything he desired and all the skeletons he wanted it with. He sucked in a deep breath and held it while touching all the right spots until suddenly he felt something break and then pure ecstasy spark where his fingers touched. 

Just as soon as it had started, it ended. Leaving Honey very confused. 

_Had he climaxed?_ Honey had no frame of reference to know for sure. He’d definitely felt something, no matter how quickly it had been over. He put his lingering desires for more down to how good it felt, not because he wasn’t completely satisfied. That had to be it. One thing was for sure though; whatever he’d just experienced had released the tension he’d been struggling with. He could feel his exhaustion creeping back, his heavy sockets slipping shut before he had the chance to even think about cleaning up. 

Honey yawned and curled in on himself as sleep took him. Everything else could wait until morning.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tags: Some Internal panic, graphic masturbation (bones only), first time, sensitive bones, heavy fantasising including stuff with Honeyblossom, Honeybbq, Spicyhoney.


End file.
